As much as we want to eliminate all possible dangers online, it is quite impossible to do so since we do not have complete control over the internet. Fortunately, websites, especially social media platforms, are going out of their way to improve their security measures. Further, there are many things we can personally do to maximize our online security.

Being secured online is important considering that we encode and post several information that are personal to us on websites or internet platforms. These information will always be at risk of being obtained by hackers or scammers who might just profit from it or use it against you at some point in time. The goal, therefore, is to prevent these hackers from doing what they do best and this can be achieved with several security measures. Bishop for Congress provides the following tips:

Battling Hackers

Install Firewall

Basically, a firewall establishes a wall or a barrier between a trusted network and any untrusted outside network. This helps you monitor network traffic so as to keep you safe online. With this, hackers cannot easily access your side of the virtual world. Moreover, antivirus software should also be installed to detect or remove malicious software.

Connect to a VPN

Virtual private networks allow users to be seen as directly connected to a private network instead and thus, it hides personal internet service provider addresses. This security measure is a holy grail for many users all over the world. For instance, for countries like the Philippines, which is very prone to hacking as per Kaspersky lab survey, the use of VPN is essential.

However, VPN providers must be chosen carefully and that is why we recommend US based VPNs over Filipino companies.

Be encrypted.

Whether for your devices, electronic mails, or messaging applications, be encrypted at all times. Encryption prevents unauthorized access; hence, always be on the hunt for end-to-end encryption just to be safe. Although others may say that encryption in emails is a fallacy, you can always opt to use a more secure browser that would, in a sense, encrypt your email inboxes.

Report suspicious activity.

Always be wary of your online accounts. If you do see any suspicious activities on your online banking, for instance, or your social media platforms; immediately report the issue to prevent further damage, if there are any.

Choose a safe browser.

Fortunately, there are browsers which will give you the best online protection. Browsers such as tor opt for the bouncing of traffic through multiple relays to allow their users to be at most anonymous online. Look into which browsers are being used by those who are privacy-conscious such as news reporters and others.

Use two-factor authentication.

Perhaps, one of the best security measures would be the multifactor or two-factor authentication. This method grants a user access only after several pieces of information are asked and successfully answered. Otherwise, the attempt would be denied. This security measure is heavily used by social media platforms as well as in smartphones today. This also helps inform users about attempted access outside the usual browser.