As the internet becomes more dangerous than ever, people seem to be getting extremely careless. A lot of us rest behind this idea that everything will be fine, as long as we don’t do anything stupid. We think we know which links not to click on, which wealthy princes not to trust, and which websites are just duplicates of the real thing.
Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Hackers are getting smarter and viruses are better hidden. Your typical scammers are evolving. It even turns out that antivirus for iPhone is necessary, despite Apple “stans” insisting otherwise.
Do you have all the necessary security software on your phone? If you don’t have one of the following, download it now.
A good VPN
A VPN is not just useful for getting bigger Netflix catalogues or getting past government censorship. More importantly, it protects you from having your data hacked and the possibility of identity theft. When you use the internet without one, you’re leaving yourself extremely open to cybercrime.
This is why you shouldn’t just download the first VPN that shows up in a search. While some VPNs may get you past blocks on certain content, they won’t necessarily protect you. Most of the VPN apps on Google Play don’t actually work at all.
Make sure you get a strong VPN that will keep you safe while getting you past geo-blocking and censorship. It’s worth the $10 it will cost per month.
Antivirus software
We all hate the thought of antivirus software, and I think it has to do with the fact that it was so terrible in the ‘90s. I remember all too well how antivirus software would make my Windows computer crash all the time. It was clunky and slow everything down.
However, antivirus software has come a long way, and it is as important as ever. Hackers still use viruses to take control of your devices or steal your data, and without an antivirus, you’re leaving yourself wide open to this.
There are some great antiviruses out there but, again, don’t just use the first one you find on Google Play.
Password managers
Password managers are important for one simple reason: human error. While hackers are out there coming up with smart ways to get past our security measures, a lot of the time we invite them in. Password rules on websites have gotten ever more complex without actually making us any more secure. Most of us end up using the same combination (or a variation of it) for every account. This means that if one account is hacked, hackers can use your password to get into every other one.
A password manager will create incredibly strong passwords, that you won’t even be able to look at without hurting your eyes. You don’t ever need to remember it or even look at it for more than a second. And later, when it comes time for a routine change of password, you don’t have to stress about that either.
Be smart with cybersecurity. It’s more important than ever.