Life online can be a bit of a minefield, especially when it comes to avoiding malicious hacker attacks.
You’ve all heard the basic advice — use a fully updated anti-malware product, apply all patches for operating system and desktop software, avoid surfing to darker parts of the Web, etc. etc.
Those are all important but there are a few additional things you can do to secure your online presence and keep hackers at bay. Here are 10 little things that can provide big value:
1. Use a Password Manager
Password managers have emerged as an important utility to manage the mess of creating strong, unique passwords for multiple online accounts. This helps you get around password-reuse (a basic weakness in the identity theft ecosystem) and because they integrate directly with Web browsers, password managers will automatically save and fill website login forms and securely organize your life online.
Some of the better ones include LastPass, KeePass, 1Password, Stenagos and Kaspersky Password Manager (disclosure: my employer). Trust me, once you invest in a Password Manager, your life online will be a complete breeze and the security benefits will be immeasurable.
2. Turn on GMail two-step verification
Google’s two-step verification for GMail accounts is an invaluable tool to make sure no one is logging into your e-mail account without your knowledge. It basically works like the two-factor authentication you see at banking sites and use text-messages sent to your phone to verify that you are indeed trying to log into your GMail. It takes a about 10-minutes to set up and can be found at the top of your Google Accounts Settings page. Turn it on and set it up now.
While you’re there, you might want to check the forwarding and delegation settings in your account to make sure your email is being directed properly. It’s also important to periodically check for unusual access or activity in your account. You can see the last account activity recorded at the bottom of GMail page, including the most recent IP addresses accessing the account.
