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Cybersecurity Month: 10 Super Easy Tips That Will Make Your Online Life Secure

Digital privacy expert shares his favourite tips to stay secure online

By Daniel MarkusonPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Traditionally, October is Cybersecurity Month. And, even though it is coming to a close, you still have some time to improve your online habits.

Of course, we have very little control over when the next company, some online service, or even governmental system will start leaking our data, or be hacked. But, even if we can’t prevent all cyber threats, there are things we can do to make our digital life a bit safer. Cybersecurity is important, 365 days a year! Start now, and improve your habits.

Here are 10 easy tips from NordVPN for every day, to make your online life more secure. All the tips are easy to follow, even if you are not tech-savvy.

1. Real-life cookies are delicious, but online “cookies” serve quite a different purpose.

Take five minutes to manage your cookie settings. Not only do they track you all over the internet, they can also be abused by hackers to break into your accounts.

2. Choose your five most important or frequently used online accounts.

Now, go change the passwords to something secure that you can remember. It will take less than 10 minutes, but will keep you secure online. Or even better, start using a password manager, like NordPass.

3. Spend five minutes on haveibeenpwned.com.

This awesome website compares your email and password to major hacks and leaks, to warn you of any vulnerabilities you may not have known about. If your old password is listed on this website, stop using it instantly and create a new one.

4. Are you using the most secure browser you can?

While it is entirely possible to tweak Google Chrome, Safari, or even Microsoft IE with plugins and advanced settings for security and privacy, these are far from their key features. However, there are plenty of browsers out there that will secure your online exploration while still offering plenty of great features.

5. Security and privacy are two sides of the same coin.

Your browsing data says a lot about you, but your Google search activity can say even more. All of the URLs and keywords you’ve ever typed into Google’s search page are stored on Google servers. Find out what Google knows about you, and how to clear your history.

6. Your laptop camera sees everything you do.

If it was hacked, how would you know? “Camfecting” is one of the most common hacks, so better cover it now with a tape. Even Mark Zuckerberg does it.

7. Too many people believe private browser modes keep them safe.

That's a myth, and you should be using other security features. Private browser mode doesn’t keep your history, but your ISP and websites you visit can still follow you.

8. It's easy to forget that your mobile devices are also vulnerable to hackers and snoopers.

You should treat them as you treat your personal computer. Your smartphone needs antivirus, firewall, and a reliable VPN. Secure your mobile devices.

9. Free WiFi is tempting, but it can cost you more than it's worth if you're not careful.

Always use free WiFi wisely—Connect to it only if you really need, and avoid online shopping or online banking while on it.

10. We put ourselves out there on social media, but it's hard to know where your information can end up.

Don’t overshare, and adjust your privacy settings to a more private one. It’s easy and simple.

These tips are super easy, and everyone can follow them, even if you don’t like tech too much.

By the way, NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, that is more security-oriented than most VPN services. It offers double VPN encryption, ad blocking, and Onion Over VPN. The product is very user-friendly, offers one of the best prices on the market, has over 5,000 servers worldwide, and is P2P-friendly. One of the key features of NordVPN is zero-log policy. For more information, visit nordvpn.com.

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About the Creator

Daniel Markuson

I'm a digital privacy expert at NordVPN.com and an Internet security enthusiast. I love to serve up generous helpings of news, stories, and tips to help people stay private and secure.

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