Tips for a routine with better cyber-hygiene

08 Sep Tips for a routine with better cyber-hygiene

With cyber threats evolving constantly and dramatically, we are to consider cybersecurity proactively as part of our daily routine, as an inseparable part of our lives. Cyber-hygiene is a digital set of best practices to maintain your devices’ safety, well-being and complete protection at both the personal and the organisational levels. Sustaining solid cyber-routines can not only guard your data and identity by holding attackers at bay, but it can also help to maintain your devices’ functionality.

Within the context of European Cybersecurity Month, we have prepared the following recommendations to help you improve your cyber-hygiene habits:

1. Update software at regular intervals: It is crucial, not only in terms of security and to patch the gaps from malicious users, but also to install new and updated features to increase the efficiency of the software. Remember: outdated and archaic software is vulnerable to cybercriminals.
2. Make regular data back-ups: If you back up your information regularly so that you can recover it easily, you cannot be blackmailed by cybercriminals. Your work or private life data can still function normally, even if it is damaged or stolen.
3. Use strong passwords: Setting strong, unique, complex passwords is crucial. Don’t forget to also change passwords regularly, though, and never reuse the same password: that will help to protect you from an attacker having an easy time figuring out your passwords.
4. Use multi-factor authentication: Two- and three-factor authentication provides an additional layer of protection that greatly increases the security of your data.
5. Use network firewalls: Firewalls are like an entrance into your cyber-castle: keep your defenses strong by preventing unauthorised users from accessing your mail server, website or other sources of data that can be accessed through the web.
6. Secure router: Take care of your wireless network! Check if your router settings offer WPA2 or WPA3 encryption to preserve the highest level of network data privacy.
7. Use security tools such as firewalls, anti-malware, and others: Create an extra layer of protection and inhibit the installation of malicious data.
8. Scan for device vulnerabilities: Vulnerability-checking maintains the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the system. It also guards against unauthorised system access.
9. Employ device encryption: Many companies enable encryption automatically. You can also manually encrypt your devices or other media that contain sensitive information.