Most of the times, you are the sole reason for your devices getting hacked or infected by viruses/Malware. Negligence is the most important factor for having this type of problem. In most of the cases, we can prevent the occurrence of such incidents by having some basic knowhow about security and the ways through which you can be hacked. If you know the ways through which a person can be hacked then you will have some safety measures for it and you will be on the safer side.
Some of the tips to prevent your devices from such situations are:
1. Use of Original software : Most of the times viruses,trojan horses come through pirated softwares. The hackers bind the pirated softwares with several Trojans and viruses and most of the times it’s not safe to use pirated softwares. Keygens are the major sources of viruses,so better try to avoid them and use free and open source softwares instead of them if you can’t purchase the original one.
2. Using the updated Antivirus : Your antivirus must be updated regularly for new virus definitions or you might face huge problems by some new virus which came after the last update you had.
3. Do not click untrusted Links: Nowadays people are sending viruses through instant messages, facebook messages etc with some catchy lines like “win iPad by downloading this software” or “change your facebook look by this software” . Try not to click on those links even if those links came from a trusted friend you should confirm twice about its authenticity from your friend,as they might be spoofed.
4. Removing unknown toolbar : Many softwares forcibly install toolbars on your browsers and many of them might be recording your activities, so it’s better that you uninstall those toolbars instantaneously to avoid harmful situations.
5. Browser Addons & Extensions : Do you know that your information can be hacked by some of the browser addons and extensions,if there is some malicious code in the addons. So, try not to use any random addon for your browser and always download a addon from official store or you might face problems,as it’s too easy for a guy to insert some redirection code in it.
6. Beware of greasemonkey userscripts : Many firefox users might be using Greasemonkey userscripts to get some functionalities which websites don’t offer normally. Most of the userscripts are safe to use ,but there are users who insert phishing codes in the userscripts and you might be redirected to phishing pages, if you don’t check the codes.
7. Using a Strong password: Don’t use any password that can be easily guessed by people in your social circle, as you never know which of your Facebook friend might be a hacker . Most of the times users have passwords based on girlfriends, phone number or birthday. Try not to use these as anyone can easily guess these passwords. You can also read our guide on how to create strong passwords.
8. Don’t use public computers: Many cyber cafes/public computers have keyloggers installed in their systems, so you might just be typing your passwords for them. So, when you use any cyber café to access your email accounts, use onscreen keyboard to avoid such situations.
9. Use Two step login if possible: Many websites such as Gmail now provides two step login feature in which you receive a special code in your mobile to use the email account . So, activate it, if you haven’t till date.
10. Use WOT : WOT is a nice addon/extension for both Firefox and Chrome and you can download the Web of Trust addon from the official chrome store or from firefox website. Web of Trust shows the ratings of a website,so that you can decide whether it is safe or not.
If you’re like me, you’re addicted to your smartphone, tablet, maybe even your laptop. What is your best tip for keeping all of your devices protected? Comment below and you’ll be entered to win a $400 Amazon gift card from Kaspersky Lab.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of KasperskyLab. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
