7 Easy Ways to Protect Yourself from Cyber Threats That You Should Know

The world of the internet has brought immense growth and prosperity. From communication to handling complex online operations over distances, the internet has made it quite easier for us to accomplish a lot. But, with progress came concerns, and cybersecurity has become one of the hot topics for everyone connected to the internet.

Cybersecurity is no joke in 2022, and not being prepared for it leaves you vulnerable to hackers and scammers. Having no security is one thing but having poor measures will result in the same menace, which is why you should have robust cybersecurity parameters.

In this article, we shall be looking at some easy ways that you can administer to fortify your walls for a cyberattack. So, without further ado, let’s check these out:

1. Get a Safe Internet Connection

The first thing to do is to acquire an internet connection from a reliable internet provider. Your internet provider should ensure a safe experience for you. That is when it has ensured security measures at its end.

For that, we recommend checking out services from Windstream since it's well known to offer robust internet safety solutions. You can contact Windstream customer service and find the relevant package that comes with internet security features.

With that said, ensure to pick the one that ensures good defenses since your ISP is responsible for that. Plus, if the primary hub gets attacked, it can infect user nodes too. Thus, your internet provider should have strengthened security.

2. Pick a Good Antivirus

On your end, you should ensure to have a good antivirus that helps barricade your defenses. You should go for a premium, paid version because only then you can expect to have good protection, and enhanced safety measures.

Plus, these versions feature various protective measures, including antivirus, antimalware, antispyware, etc. All of these will help you build a stronger defense for your device. Plus, this will also mitigate the chances of users falling into phishing traps especially if your network has additional users such as kids or the elderly.

3. Avoid Opening Malicious Links

In addition to installing a good antivirus, you should avoid opening malicious links that may come from a suspicious email, website, user, etc. We can account for various online documentaries that have trapped users with phishing links (Cyber Hell for starters).

Using malicious links, users are trapped when their devices automatically share entire data with the hackers. Afterward, the process of blackmailing begins and whatnot. Therefore, avoid opening suspicious emails or visiting websites that are not secure (don’t have HTTPS protection).

4. Install Your Updates

A good reason why you should install device updates is that it helps removes bugs from the device’s software. Bugs are like loopholes that can be explored by hackers. For instance, a bug may cause all incoming emails marked important.

Ultimately, you’re bound to open such emails to see what’s important and most likely get your device infected by malware placed in the mail. Thus, installing updates will help remove bugs and give your device a better fighting chance.

5. Run a Deep Scan on Your Devices

A good way of ensuring that your devices are protected is by running a deep scan with the help of your antivirus. The reason why we recommended going for premium antiviruses is that it allows you to scan your devices for hidden malware effectively.

Free or trial versions don’t provide such measures, leaving your devices vulnerable. On the other hand, using a paid version will give better analysis as well as implement measures for protecting your devices efficiently.

6. Visit Authentic & Safe Sites

Just as you should not be opening malicious emails, you should avoid visiting unprotected sites or opening links on them. Doing this will not only lead to making your device vulnerable to virus attacks but your device will get infected with potentially harmful malware.

How is it different? Such malware can attack other connected nodes on the network that your device is currently connected to. In addition, it’s most likely that your data will be lost, corrupted, or stolen. High chances are you’ll be blackmailed for it.

Therefore, no need to ‘download additional RAM’ or ‘spin fortune wheels’ to get a free iPhone. Avoid opening such links and install ad-blocker extensions so that these pop-ups or links don’t open on your browser at all. You can also use a VPN in this regard. 

7. Don’t Input Your Information Mercifully

Even with immense efforts, some people are still prone to online hacks. However, these occur when people mercifully input credentials, creating their accounts on every website they visit. However, doing this not only creates a chain of user accounts that can be tracked but makes you vulnerable too.

Hackers can send malicious content, links, or emails using the site’s address. Ultimately, you’ll be opening them, thinking it’s something important, and end up hacked. In addition, your account details such as username, email, etc. can be traced.

Next, the data entered, especially on any financial website can be used to hack into your bank accounts. Therefore, make sure that:

• You don’t input information, especially financial one on any site unless it’s utmost necessary (it’s your bank details, medical details, etc.)
• Remove cache, cookies, and data of any sort in case you think there’s a data breach.
• Avoid providing access to applications to your device’s data (media, images, contacts, etc.)
• In case of data breaches (when third-party apps use your information), remove all associated accounts and change your passwords
• Add alpha-numeric, symbols, capital letters, etc. to strengthen your passwords. Make sure to come up with something that is not usually knowable (your birthday and your dog’s name are no good passwords)
  
  

Closing Thoughts

It's important to keep yourself protected against online threats. Following the abovementioned ways, you can strengthen cybersecurity parameters and get enhanced protection while going online. Remember to follow these, and contact the support services of your provider in case of any mishaps.