Since the resources available to both human and automated hacking, phishing and malware actors keep leapfrogging available means to mitigate those challenges, it’s a good best practice to use the help that is readily available … much of it free or low-cost. Here are some of the suggestions, resources and best practices we’ve used and recommend:
- Use strong, unique passwords for every online account you use, include financial, social media, and even those you don’t consider that important. The easiest way to do this is to use a password manager such as 1Password, LastPass, or Dashlane. which will generate unique, secure, strong passwords for every online account you use, and make it easy (for you, but nigh impossible for others) to access them every time you log into any of those accounts and have the credentials available across multiple devices. Another (less convenient) option is to use a site like Strong Password Generator and then copy the URL, username, password (plus any other pertinent info) in a text file, spreadsheet or other database – this is more tedious but works.
- Many sites use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) such as texting a short multi-digit code before completing login access; as long as you have cell phone access when you need it and keep your cell close at hand, this works well.
- Use anti-virus-anti-malware software such as MalwareBytes to scan your computer devices to remove viruses. The classic ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure applies here! When you are going to be away from your computer for a while, it’s a good time to run a virus and security scan and let it run for a few hours if needed.
- Here’s an online security checklist
- Phishing Attack Prevention: How to Identify & Avoid Phishing Scams
- … and some prior musings from this site on the subject of online security
Since security advances keep getting thwarted by those who would exploit vulnerabilities with each new improvement, it’s important to remember that the target keeps moving. Here’s a video that highlights the challenging but important task of keeping up with the threats to ever-eroding security and how we need to support the mitigations that are available and stay informed – and secure – as best we can, even though it seems such a daunting task. Fortunately, we have lots of help, globally. Who would have thought that we need to pro-actively plan how to avert attacks using technology still in early development, e.g. critical numbers of quantum-entangled computer bits or “qubits”.