5 ways to up your cybersecurity – and why it’ll save you money in the long run

There’s nothing worse than an unforeseen expense – and if it’s money stolen from you by hackers or paid to them in ransom to regain control over your account, it’s even worse. In these uncertain times, businesses and private citizens alike are more vulnerable online than ever. So, don’t leave yourself open to hackers by skimping on cybersecurity. Instead, follow the advice below and save that ransom money for something worthwhile.

Create strong passwords – and many of them

We’ll start with an obvious advice, which many for some reason still ignore. When creating your passwords, don’t go for the classic combination of you or your mother’s birthday, your pet’s name or any other freely available information about you. Also, don’t reuse passwords and leave your other accounts open to hackers if they manage to crack one. Instead, create unique, random passwords for every account.

Store your passwords safely

The issue most people have with the above is that they can’t remember hundreds of random passwords – which is fair. But don’t jot them down on a notepad or in a Word document. Instead, opt for one of the many tools out there created specifically to store passwords safely, e.g. like a password manager. If you’re having trouble deciding on one, see this list of password managers for recommendations. We promise a tool like this will make managing your passwords safely way easier.

Use two-factor authentication

With only one password, hackers can easily get a hold of it and gain access to your account – a security risk you should avoid taking whenever possible. Instead, if you have the option of enabling two-factor authentication, make sure to do so. With two-factor authentication, you need to provide several pieces of evidence that you are who you say you are before gaining access – e.g. like a personal piece of information, a password or login from a separate app or a fingerprint.

Update regularly

With the many apps and devices most of us have, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with updates and fall behind. But unfortunately, this laziness can quickly cause way bigger issues for you if you’re not careful. The reason why regular updates are required is that developers are constantly fixing issues with soft- and hardware – which also includes security loopholes that hackers will take advantage of unless addressed. By keeping your tech updated, you get these fixes as soon as they’re available.

Don’t click on suspicious links

Another one you’ve heard time and time again: Don’t ever click on links or notifications that look even slightly shady. By now, you probably know not to click on confettied notifications saying you’ve won an iPhone by being visitor number 1.000.000 – and that the person trying to get your details over email is, in fact, not a generous Nigerian prince. But as we figure out popular scams and wise up, so do the scammers. New, more subtle and sophisticated online scams emerge almost daily. So, always be wary of notifications from popular companies with funny spelling or excessive symbol or emoji usage, emails asking you to click on links that look suspicious when mousing over them and the likes.

Why cybersecurity can make or break your finances

We’ll finish off by emphasizing the big why. So, why does cybersecurity save you money? Well, first off, it saves you from having your bank account emptied by scammers. Secondly, you also won’t have to spend money on regaining control over your accounts or replacing expensive equipment. So, all in all, the time and energy spent securing yourself online will definitely pay off in the long run.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes.