Let’s face it. A lot of our lives take place online these days. We can send a quick email instead of going to the post office. We can do our banking via our phone. We can build an online presence for our businesses people see before they ever set foot in our brick and mortar stores. While our dependence on technology isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, it’s important to stay safe online.
One of the biggest safety concerns with technology is protection against hackers and viruses. Everyone online is susceptible to safety threats. So, how can you prevent these threats and protect yourself?
Change your passwords regularly
- Efficient and carefully constructed passwords help protect your accounts and private information. It’s important to change your password at least every 90 days. It might seem inconvenient but could pay off big time.
- Other important things to remember:
- Use different password for each of your accounts
- Make sure password has a variation of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols
- Make your password lengthy. The more intricate the password, the more difficult it is to guess.
- Keep passwords stored in a safe place.
- For more information on password safety, read our blog: Are Your Passwords Safe?
Make sure your computer is protected
Security software is vital to the protection of your computer and the programs run on it. Not installing the proper security software is the equivalent of leaving your door unlocked. It leaves you vulnerable to thieves getting in and stealing what’s important to you.
When the proper antivirus and antimalware software isn’t installed, you become susceptible. Hackers create viruses and malware for different reasons. Through viruses, hackers have the ability to take control of your computer, steal information, and cripple your computer or network of computers. Malware tracks your actions such as what passwords you type, what credit card numbers you use and other sensitive information.
Just as it is important to have the right software, it’s just as important to make sure that software is as up to date as possible.
Perform routine updates on your website
Like we stated in our last blog, Why Updating Your Site Matters, content management systems, such as WordPress, regularly send out updates. It is vital to your website’s security that you keep up with these updates. Although your host’s servers may have tight security, a website that is behind on updates becomes vulnerable to security threats. It makes you more susceptible to hackers and viruses.
A big target of hackers is websites, such as e-commerce sites, that contain sensitive information such as credit card numbers. A website using old software has a much higher risk of being hacked.
Practical Tips to Protect Yourself
- Be cautious if you receive emails from people you don’t recognize
- Don’t click links in suspicious emails
- Be cautious of emails that ask for sensitive information (personal information, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.). Reputable companies will never ask for that type of information via an email.
- Don’t store passwords or sensitive information on your computer. In the chance that your computer is hacked, this puts you at risk for having your information used against you.
- When using public WiFi, don’t allow file-sharing. A hacker can implant bad software on your computer through this avenue
- Make sure your email and website are hosted on secure servers
How We Can Help
Our clients’ safety is a top priority at Old City Web Services. We offer website and email hosting on our own secure servers for a minimal hosting fee that includes customer service. Our staff is always available if something goes wrong. We also perform website maintenance to protect against safety threats. If our customers ever do have a security issue, our staff is just a phone call away. Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can keep you and your business safe.