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Originally Posted On: Halt, Online Hackers! 5 Tips for Staying Safe and Secure Online – Geeks Around Globe

According to the leading cybersecurity experts, there are around 4,000 cyberattacks per day. And if you’re not careful, you could be the next victim.

The only way to stay safe is to stay ahead of the criminals looking to steal your information. By reading this article, you’ll find out how to do exactly that.

Keep reading to learn how you can stop online hackers in their tracks!

1. Choose Strong Passwords

Though technology has evolved at a rapid pace, people’s password choices remain troublesome. The top passwords are as follows:

• 123456
• 123456789
• picture1
• password

Yes, people seriously use the word ‘password’ as their password. We can’t believe it either.

Protect your privacy online by using passwords that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and a punctuation mark.

2. Stop Using Password Autofill

Most web browsers have a handy feature that allows you to store your usernames and passwords so you can get into your accounts faster.

From a user standpoint, it’s a great feature. But from an internet security feature? It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

While it can be difficult to remember your usernames and passwords, memorizing a few combinations sure beats having your personal information stolen.

3. Pay Attention to Site Security

Not all businesses and websites take advantage of managed IT services. Some sites still use outdated security features that leave your browser vulnerable to bad actors looking to capitalize on their laziness.

Start paying attention to the protocol structure of the sites you visit. You’ll commonly see this written as ‘HTTP or ‘HTTPS.

Ideally, you’ll want to stick to sites that use the latter, as they feature an extra layer of security that their counterparts don’t.

4. Keep Your Devices up to Date

Maybe the easiest way to maintain internet privacy and keep your data secure is simply to keep up with device updates. Whether you’re using an Android, Windows, or Apple device, devices commonly include built-in security software.

Firmware updates often include vital security improvements to keep up with the latest threats.

And, believe it or not, the firewalls included on your devices are often more than capable of keeping your info safe. So as long as you keep your hardware up to date, you should be okay.

5. Watch for Phishers

Hackers constantly look for new ways to exploit people’s privacy online. Now, phishing scams are harder to spot than ever before.

Maybe you’ve received a suspicious email from ‘Amazon’ or ‘Apple’ telling you that your account is compromised, and all you have to do to secure it is click the link in the email.

Pay close attention to the sender. More often than not, these are scams, and clicking on the link can give them access to your system.

To find out if your account really does need updated information, try logging into the site directly.

Stay Safe and Stop Online Hackers

Unfortunately, online hackers are only going to get smarter in the future. It’s up to you to stay ahead of them by keeping up with the latest in security.

To keep track of everything, make sure to check back with our blog for the newest and most valuable security tips.