How to be more secure on online
Email hacks, identity theft,
and online credit card fraud can be devastating. If you've never been
the victim of a breach, count yourself lucky, but don't let your luck
lead you to complacency. Making your online identity and activities more
secure really doesn't take too much effort at all. In fact, several
tips about what you can do to be more secure online boil down to little
more than common sense.
These 10 tips for being more secure in your online life will help keep you safer.\
1. Use Unique Passwords for Every Login
One of the easiest
ways hackers steal information is by getting a batch of username and
password combinations from one source and trying those same combinations
elsewhere. For example, let's say Store A has been hacked, and the
hackers got your username and password. The hackers might try to log
into banking sites or major email services using the same username and
password combination. The single best way to prevent one data breach
from having a domino effect is to use a unique password for every single
online account you have.
So use a
password manager.
Having a unique and strong password for every account is not a job any
human can do well. But it's exactly what password managers are designed
to do. Several
very good password managers are free, and it takes little time to start using one.
When you use a password manager, the only password you need to
remember is the one that locks the password manager itself. Password
managers typically log you into your online accounts automatically
(after you unlock the password manager, of course), which means they not
only help keep you safer, but also increase your efficiency and
productivity as you use your computer because you no longer have to type
your logins.
2. Get a VPN and Use It
Any time you connect to the Internet using a Wi-Fi network that you don't know, you should use a virtual private network (VPN).
"VPNs provide a secure connection over the Internet between a user
and the data or websites to which they connect, and encrypt the data
exchanged across that connection," wrote Aaron Stern, for the Kaspersky blog. It's one of the most succinct explanations of VPNs I've ever read.
Say you go to a coffee shop and connect to a free Wi-Fi network. You
don't know anything about the security of that connection. It's possible
that someone else on that network, without you knowing, could start
looking through or stealing the files and data sent from your laptop or
mobile device.
PCMag has suggestions for 10 VPN services you should know about. There are a few decent free VPN services, but most of the best ones come with a monthly fee.
3. Turn on Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor
authentication is kind of a pain in the neck, but it will absolutely
make your accounts more secure. Two-factor authentication means you have
another layer of security you need to pass beyond simply having a
username and password to get into your accounts. If the data or personal
information in an account is sensitive or valuable, and the account
offers two-factor authentication, you should enable it. Gmail, Evernote,
and Dropbox are a few examples of online services that offer two-factor
authentication.
Two-factor authentication verifies your identity by another factor,
which is typically one of these three things: something you are,
something you own, or something you know. Verifying something you "are"
could be done through a fingerprint or iris scan. Something you own
could be your mobile phone and phone number, as in, you'll get a text
message with a special code to enter. Something you know might be
another password.
Think about it: If someone tries to log into your account, and you
have two-factor authentication via text message enabled, you'll get a
text message every time someone tries to log into your account.
4. Use Passcodes Even If They Are Optional
Apply a
passcode lock wherever it is offered, even if it's optional. When it
comes to your smartphone and tablet, for instance, it's "hugely
important," according to security expert at PCMag Neil Rubenking [all
caps his].
Rubenking also said that you should use a passcode rather than a
four-digit PIN. "Use a fingerprint ID, if available, or another
biometric lock. Note that even when you do use Touch ID, there's still a
backup option to log in with a passcode. Make that a strong one, as you
won't have to use it often, but not a stupid four-digit PIN."
With iOS devices, go to Settings > Passcode and switch off Simple
Passcode, which gets rid of the numbers-only PIN and lets you to use the
full keyboard to create a much more complex passcode.
5. Get Disposable Credit Card Numbers
The system of credit
card use is outdated and not very secure at all. That's not your fault,
but there is something you can do about it: Use disposable credit card
numbers. In other words, you have your regular credit card account, but
you can get a new 16-digit credit card number any time you need to buy
something.
Security tech journalist and PCMag contributing editor Fahmida Y.
Rashid mentioned that some banks, such as Citi Mastercard, offer
one-time use credit cards. Bank of America similarly has a program
called ShopSafe that works like this: You log into your account,
generate a 16-digit number as well as a security code and "on-card"
expiry date, and then you set a time for when you want all those digits
to expire. You use the new temporary numbers in place of your real
credit card when you shop online, and the charges go to your regular
account. The temporary card number will not work again after it expires.
So the next time your credit card company or bank calls you to try
and sell you upgrades, ask about one-time use cards and other similar
services. If you bank doesn't offer these levels of protection, you can
get them elsewhere.
Abine Blur offers masked credit card numbers, as well as email masking and other privacy services.
6. Use Different Email Addresses for Different Types of Accounts
One habit I've noticed among people who are both highly organized and
methodical about their security is they use different email addresses
for different purposes. Rashid and I both use different addresses for
different kinds of online activity, the purpose being to keep the online
identities associated with them separate.
The compartmentalization also makes it easy to spot fishy email. "If
your Facebook is hacked, or your social-networking email address is used
to send a phishing email from Chase, you know it's fake," Rashid said.
I also keep one email address dedicated to signing up for apps that I
want to try but which might have questionable security or which might
spam me with promotional messages. Another option is to use
Guerillamail
to generate a temporary email address when you don't want to use a real
one, and even receive authentication messages to that email address on
the Guerillamail website. Guerillamail doesn't require you to sign up to
use its service, either. It's truly built to help protect your privacy.
7. Clear Your Cache
Never underestimate how much your
browser's cache knows about you. Saved cookies, saved searches, and Web
history could point to home address, family information, and other
personal data.
To better protect that information that may be lurking in your Web
history, be sure to delete browser cookies and clear your browser
history on a regular basis. "I do it daily, but most people would balk
at that," Rashid said. Some
tune-up utilities have a setting that automatically cleans out saved browser data however often you like.
8. Turn Off 'Save Password' Feature in Browsers
Speaking
of what your browser may know about you, many browsers offer some kind
of password management solution. We at PCMag don't recommend them,
however. We feel it's best to leave password protection to the experts
who make password managers.
"It amazes me that browsers by default still prompt to save your web
passwords. Turn that off. You don't need it if you are using a password
manager, and it's safer to not have passwords saved in your browser to
begin with. It's a simple change, with a big boost to security," Rashid
said. Here's something kind of scary that Rubenking mentioned: "When you
install a password manager, it typically offers to import passwords
stored insecurely in your browsers. If the password manager can do that,
you can be sure some malicious software can do the same."
9. Don't Fall Prey to Click Bait
"Part of securing your
online life is being smart about what you click," Rubenking said. Click
bait doesn't just refer to cat compilation videos and catchy headlines.
It can also comprise links in email, messaging apps, and on Facebook.
Phishing links can cause malware to automatically download and infect
your device.
"Don't click links in emails or text messages unless they're without a
doubt from a source known to you," he added. The same goes for links on
social media sites.
"If the post seems at all unlike the style of your social media buddy, it may be a hack."
10. Explore the Security Tools You Install
Many excellent
apps and settings help protect your devices and your identity, but
they're only valuable if you know how to use them properly. "A lot of
people switch on Find My iPhone or install security software and then
never explore the settings, or even try out the service to see how it
works," security writer and PCMag analyst Max Eddy mentioned. What good
is Find My iPhone if you haven't enabled it properly or don't know how
to locate your device if it's stolen?
"Actually understanding the tools that you assume will protect you
will go a long way toward them actually protecting you," he said.
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