We are hearing a lot of news regarding the hacking of different types. This includes everything from opportunists trying to extract passwords through phishing to highly organized crime units targeting businesses and government systems to steal intellectual property and other information. With hacks, scams, malware, and more, the Internet feels like a dangerous place. And smartphones and tablets to Internet-connected appliances, has opened us up to even greater risks. So, the question is how to protect yourself from being hacked? In this post, we will try to share information, tips, and tricks you can use to protect yourself from being hacked. And you can have safe online surfing and shopping experience.
It is very true that no matter how many measures you take to protect your personal information, but unfortunately the hackers still find out a way to hack and steal your information. No device connected to the internet is truly safe, whether it is a computer, smartphone, iPads, watches, or anything for that matter.
So, everything right from your bank account details, credit cards, social media, emails, pictures, videos, files, etc., are vulnerable and can be compromised by hackers.
The Do’s and Don’t – Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
But despite everything being connected to the internet, it is part of our daily lives and we can’t stay away from it.
But, there are some security measures you can implement and practice to reduce your exposure to all these threats.
Also, by doing these you can protect yourself from being hacked. Or, at least reduce your chances of being hacked.
Never click on the Unknown Links
Hackers infect a PC with malware by luring the users to click on the link or open an attachment that contains malware and infects the PC.
The golden rule is, “do not open the links you receive from unknown sources through emails, messaging apps,“ etc.
Even in emails before clicking a link ensure that the email has been sent from an email address which you know and has the correct spelling.
Sometimes hackers use email addresses that look like being sent from someone you know but have different spelling or maybe an alphabet or two different from the usual email address.
Social media has helped criminals profile individuals, allowing them to be much more easily targeted.
They can see what you’re interested in or what you do on social media and send you crafted messages, inviting you to click on something. Avoid clicking on such email links.
Don’t Use the Same Password on Every Site
Today we use dozens of websites, applications, etc., and use mostly the same password everywhere.
In such cases, if the hackers find one of your passwords they would have access to every website you use by using the same password.
Do not use guessable passwords like your kid’s name, pets name, girlfriend name, boyfriend name, birthdates, places names, or the words from the dictionary because they are easy to guess and crack.
Always Keep Your Main Email Password Different
Most people have one personal email which they use for everything. For instance, to book tickets, order food, in banks, etc.
If a hacker gets access to your personal email he would have access to every other account you have linked to your personal email.
He can use your email password to access every other account or he can also reset the passwords of other accounts using your personal email.
So, always keep your personal email password discreet, and something which no one can guess. Not even your best friends and family members.
Use Strong Anti-virus Software to Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
Most of the hackers use malware to infect a computer and get remote access to it. Because that’s the easiest way to infect and get into any computer.
Always install an anti-virus software into your computer so that it alerts you about any potential threats. However, there are dozens of new malware created by hackers every single year.
The anti-virus software only detects known threats. So the anti-virus software is not the entire answer, just a useful part of it.
But, it’s always good to have yourself protected as much as you can.
Don’t Accept Friend Requests from People You Don’t Know on Social Media
If you are getting a friend request from people you don’t know in person don’t accept that request.
The cybercriminals get a lot of information about you like your birthday, pet’s name, school’s name, college name, favorite books, favorite movies, favorite singers.
Favorite actors etc., and try to get access to your account through social engineering.
Once they get into your account they can post anything bad in public on your behalf.
So, be very careful to choose your friends online.
Think Before Sharing Anything Online
Many times people post their personal details like phone numbers, date of birth, qualification, college name, school name, favorite food, favorite singer, favorite holiday destination, etc. on social media.
And hackers read every minute detail about them.
They can easily reset your email password by answering questions you have unknowingly posted on social media and take control of your digital life.
So, be careful and think many times before you post anything on social media.
Make Sure to Setup “Erase Your Phone Data Remotely Feature” on Your Mobile
The latest mobile phones come with features which if you enable then you can erase your phone’s data remotely in case you lose it somewhere.
Find My iPhone, Google Find My Device for Android Users or BlackBerry Protect allows you to remotely erase all your personal data.
It’s important because nowadays people carry their entire social life on their phones. Be it pictures, videos, documents, contacts, digital wallets, everything is on your phone.
Hence, make it as secure as you can. So that you don’t have to repent in case you lose it at any point in time.
Consider wiping your phone data remotely if your device is stolen: go to iCloud Find My Device for Apple or Google’s Device Manager for Android.
Do Not Keep Sensitive and Personal Videos & Pictures in Your Phone
Nowadays your phone is a single device that can perform many things like a music player, photo camera, video camera, digital wallet, digital banking, online shopping, health monitoring, GPS, remote control, etc.
It’s handy to take your phone and shoot some pictures and videos, and that’s why you invest your money in buying a good device.
But, like everything else use your phone sensibly and don’t use it in a way that might lend you in trouble.
Do not keep such pictures, videos, documents, etc., on your phone which if comes in public becomes embarrassing for you.
Shop Only On the Secure and Trusted Sites & Apps
Always check for the padlock or unbroken key symbol in the URL bar of the website you are shopping from. Do not enter your credit card or internet banking details on the sites which are unsecured.
Make sure that the site you are shopping from reads “https” in the URL bar and not just “http.”
Also, ensure that the site doesn’t change back to “http” once you’re logged in.
This step would at least protect you from being hacked and troubled due to financial fraud.
Ignore Pop-ups
Pop-ups on the websites can contain malicious software that can trick a user into verifying something. Do not click on the Pop-ups which show you some offer or ask to download something.
By doing so you would be installing a virus on your computer which will steal each information from your computer.
Sometimes it downloads the virus or malware in stealth mode which you can’t see and does it works in the background. The best way to avoid it is to do not click on it.
Use Public Wi-Fi Very Carefully
Most public Wi-Fi hotspots do not encrypt information. Once a piece of data leaves your device headed for a web destination it can be intercepted by the hackers.
Use the public Wi-Fi only when you are in urgent need, or stay off it.
Do not make banking transactions over public Wi-Fi because your bank account can be compromised with the information you send over the public Wi-Fi.
Also, do not open and enter your passwords in an email or social media accounts.
Because that can also be compromised by the hackers.
Use Different Emails for Banking and other Activities
It’s a good idea to keep a separate email for your banking. If one account is hacked, you won’t find everything compromised. Also, do not share your bank email anywhere else.
Keep it completely separate only for banking purposes.
However, it’s a good idea if you keep different emails for shopping online, using social media, and swapping emails with your friends.
Macs Can also be Hacked
Don’t think that Macs cannot be hacked. Macs can also be hacked like the Window PCs.
Though the number of hacking attempts on Macs is lesser than the Windows PCs.
Remember that the determined attackers can attack any device and steal your data.
Don’t Store Your Card Details on Websites
Some of the e-Commerce websites where you shop ask on check out whether you want to store your credit card detail for future use.
Don’t save your credit card detail on any website. Because in case that website gets hacked your credit card detail can be used by the hackers.
Is it worth risking your credit card for one extra minute in which you can enter your credit card detail and shop safely?
Enable Two-step Verification to Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Dropbox, Apple, and Facebook offer two-step verification for the users. Always set that up and use it for your own safety.
In two-step verification when you enter your password you also get an SMS on your registered phone number which you need to fill in for logging into your account.
So a hacker might crack your password, but without the unique and temporary verification code cannot access your account. This way you can keep yourself protected from being hacked.
Keep Your Phone and Tablets Always Locked
Keeping your phones and tablets always locked is your first line of defense. Keep it locked, just as you would your front door.
Though nowadays devices come with fingerprint scanning and face scanning. But keeping your device locked with numeric and alphanumeric keys is a better approach to safety.
Also, avoid using the key combination as 1111 or 0000 which is easy to guess.
Change Your Passwords Periodically to Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
As a safety measure, you should keep your bank and other important account passwords changing periodically. Again, as a caution use passwords which no one can guess.
Lock Down Your Facebook Account
Facebook regularly updates its timeline and privacy settings, so it is wise to monitor your profile. Firstly, in the privacy settings menu, under “who can see my stuff?” change this to “friends.”
Do not set it to “friends of friends”, because if you do that, on average you are sharing information with over 100,000 people.
Also in privacy, setting “limit old posts” applies friends-only sharing to past as well as future posts. Thirdly, disable the ability of other search engines to link to your timeline.
You should also review the activity log, which shows your entire history of posts and allows you to check who can see them.
Similarly, you should look at your photo albums and check you’re happy with the sharing settings for each album.
In the future you may want to consider building “lists” – subsets of friends, such as close friends and family, who you might want to share toddler photographs with, rather than the entire world.
Also, remove your home address, phone number, date of birth, and any other information which is visible and that could be used to fake your identity.
Similarly, you might want to delete or edit your “likes” and “groups” – the more hackers know about you, the more convincing a phishing email they can spam you with. Facebook apps often share your data, so delete any you don’t use or don’t remember installing.
Finally, use the “view as” tool to check what the public or even a particular individual can see on your profile, continue to “edit” and adjust it the way you like, but don’t forget about your own online security.
If this all sounds rather tedious, you can ask your reliable friend or family member who can help you set this up.
Choose a Secure Messaging App
There are over a dozen messaging apps now. But which is most secure?
You would have heard group admins getting arrested for spreading something which is not legal over the WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups.
How did the cops know who did that?
Simple, your information is being stored on the Apps servers which can be used against you anytime.
Without realizing you are putting your sensitive information on someone’s server through those messaging apps you just keep using it.
Do not share sensitive information like passwords, bank account details, credit card detail, etc., to anyone over these messaging apps.
So if you want to make sure nobody can access your messages and files sent through a messaging app, skip Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Hike, and WhatsApp altogether, and share that information if necessary over a call.
Check if Someone Else is Accessing Your Account
It’s a good idea to keep checking your login and access records on your email and social media accounts. Make sure that your login records match your own activity.
If you find an IP Address or timestamp that doesn’t match your activity it means someone else is having access to your account.
In such a case immediately change your password and if two-step authentication is not enabled then enable it without fail.
For Facebook, you can see what info you’re handing out here. For Gmail see bottom right of your screen when you are logged into your Gmail Account.
Use Only Trusted Devices & Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
To keep yourself protected from the hackers you should avoid logging into private accounts from public computers, such as at the library, cyber cafe, or school computers.
Many times people get hacked because attackers can install keylogger software on public computers, and they can obtain your password easily.
If you have to check your email or social media account from a public computer, don’t forget to change your password later that day.
Boost Your Network Security to Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
Make sure that your connections are secure on which you use your devices. Use a password-protected router that encrypts your data.
If you have to use public Wi-Fi when you are out of home or offices consider investing in a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
A VPN is a piece of software that creates a secure connection over the internet, so you can safely connect from anywhere.
Use a Firewall
You should use a firewall even if your connection is secure.
A firewall is an electronic barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your computers and devices and is often included with comprehensive security software.
Using a firewall ensures that all of the devices connected to your network are secured.
This includes the Internet of Things (IoT) devices like smart thermostats and webcams.
This is necessary because many IoT devices aren’t equipped with security measures. It gives hackers a vulnerable point of entry to your entire network.
Keep Your Devices & Software Up to Date
Keep all your software updated so you have the latest security patches installed on your device.
A good way is to turn on automatic updates so you don’t have to think about it.
Also, make sure that your security software is set to run regular scans on your devices. This way you will be assured of your device’s security.
Look out for the Latest Online Scams to Protect Yourself from Being Hacked
Online threats are evolving all the time, you should be aware of them.
Awareness is important.
If you are aware of any scams like phishing emails or ransomware, you would be alert and safe from those.
And also you can protect yourself from being hacked in any such instance.
Always Keep Back Up of Your Work and Data on External Hard Disk
Anytime a machine can fail and you may lose your important data.
Hence, it is a good idea to keep a backup of your data on an external hard disk. In case of any failure, you always will have your work saved.
‘Administrator’ shouldn’t be Your Default Setting
Don’t log in as admin on your computer for day-to-day use. Only log in as Administrator to your computer if you have to install something on it.
If you download something dodgy or have already been compromised, hackers can track, install, and change pretty much whatever they like from your Administrator account.
So, make a user on your computer and always login yourself as a user on your computer to stay safe.
Turn OFF Your Device When Not in Use
You should always turn off your computer, laptop, Wi-Fi, etc. when you are not using it.
Also, don’t forget to log out from your email or social media accounts when you are not using them.
This way no one case uses your accounts in your absence.
Use Prepaid Cards for Online Shopping
Use a prepaid card for shopping online instead of using a credit card.
In case if hackers get access to your prepaid card they can only use it till the limit you have topped it up.
They won’t be able to sweep your entire bank balance.
Buy RFID Protected Wallets to Carry RFID Cards
If you use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) cards then buy RFID protected wallets to carry them. Or you are an easy target for the hackers to use your unprotected card.
Because RFID cards can be used without dipping or swiping them in the machines.
Hence, stay protected with your RFID cards.
Don’t Forget to Take Back Your Card from ATM & POS Terminals:
When you withdraw cash from ATM or do a transaction at a POS terminal don’t forget to take your card back.
Because if you forget your card someone else can use it.
There are many heard cases where people have lost money in such instances.
Do Not Write Your PIN Numbers on Your Cards
Many people write their PIN Numbers on the back of their cards so that they don’t forget it. Avoid doing that.
Because, if your PIN number is written on your card you are leaving your front door locked but with the key into the keyhole.
What to do if you’ve been hacked?
Just don’t panic and stay calm.
- Tell the relevant people: your bank, the police, and any sites involved if your information or card is been used unauthorized.
- Change all your passwords – including any you think thieves could get to, not just for compromised accounts.
- Warn personal contacts that you’ve been hacked. And if they get any email or communication on your behalf they should ignore and report to the authorities.
- Locate your devices if you have lost them, but don’t go looking for them yourself! Tell the authorities.
Thanks for reading till here. I hope this is useful to you. Similarly, it will useful for others. Use the share buttons below and share it with all your friends and family to follow the tips and stay safe.
