3 simple ways to improve your digital security right now
There’s really no reason why you shouldn’t do this
It’s never been more important to take care of your digital security, and if you tell yourself otherwise, you’re crazy. 2016 was a record year for data breaches. Too many people still use terrible passwords. People like to steal stuff.
You might be thinking, “um, I don’t really have any valuable information on my devices”. Think again. What about any of these?
- Personal photos, messages and other private data
- Passwords for online services like online banking, social media accounts and government services
- Sensitive work-related documents
Exactly. Yes, digital security might sound boring, but it’s important — that’s why we’re rounding up three easy things anyone can do to lock down their digital life.
Get a password manager
Everyone should have one. Really.
A secure password is the most important weapon in keeping others from getting access to your accounts. But because we’re human, we do stupid stuff — we come up with passwords that are way too easy, write them down on pieces of paper and leave them hanging around our devices. Or use an excel file saved to your desktop.
Password managers are amazing — when you sign up for a new service, it comes up with a ridiculously complex password and saves it to a secure vault. The only thing you need to memorise is the Master Password, the one password that unlocks all others. Because you only need to remember that one, you should make it really complex.
According to this password strength calculator, one of 2016’s most popular passwords, 123456789, could be cracked instantly. Just compare that to something generated by a password manager, like huaohJde(vx]G>i6wiLe, which would take 3,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years to crack.
There are lots of great options out there, but my personal favourite is 1Password, for its easy to understand interface, powerful features and constant updates. Other great options are LastPass and Dashlane.
Use two-factor authentication
Passwords are imperfect — they can be stolen, cracked or guessed. That’s why most popular digital service have started offering an extra way of keeping your data secure.
Two-factor authentication, or 2FA, combines your password (something you know) with your smartphone (something you have). This way, if an attacker get a hold of your password, they still can’t gain access without your phone.
2FA is incredibly easy to set up and use. Check out Turn 2FA On to see if your favourite services support it and for easy-to-follow tutorials on how to enable it for your account.
Track your stuff
You’re constantly carrying around expensive stuff — a €1300 laptop, a €800 phone and maybe even more. Lose sight of it for a second, and someone might run away with it.
First, there’s the basics. Most devices have their own tracking system built right in, and it’s important that you have it turned on.
- If you have an iPhone or Mac, make sure Find my iPhone is on. When it’s gone, track it here.
- If you have an Android phone, check the Find my Device setting. When you lose it, track it here.
- If you have a Windows laptop, check if Find my Device is on. If it’s gone, track it here.
That’s a great start. But if you want to lock things down extra well, consider installing Prey. It’s free, available for every platform and a notch up from the built-in security system of your device.
When you’ve lost your device, log in to your Prey account and mark it as lost. Within minutes, you’ll start getting reports detailing exactly where it’s located, which Wi-Fi network it’s connected to and more information. If it’s a laptop it even packs in a screenshot and a photo secretly taken with the webcam, putting you eye-to-eye with the thief. This information can then be handed over to local police, who can help with — hopefully — retrieving your device.
That’s it! Now that you’ve followed these simple steps, you’re a lot better secured.
Liked the article? Send it to a friend, co-worker, your mom or someone else who could use some help with securing their devices. They’ll thank you later.
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