10 Tips to Stay Safe Online

In a world where information is a key asset for any business, keeping that asset secure is important, even essential. To help you out, here are 10 of our best tips for protecting yourself. These are tips we apply ourselves every day.

1. Secret Secret Secret

Always use a minimum of 8 characters and include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Favour phrases over single words, such as *My nice password* rather than *PWD*. Remember to change them regularly.

MyN1cePassw0rd!

2. My Documents... not necessarily!

These days, most documents are in electronic format, right? Save them in the right place: on the server. Centralized management not only makes collaboration and work organization easier, it also lets you put more effective security measures in place. Your computer, DropBox, and Google Drive (unless it's the company's) are places you shouldn't trust. From now on, assume that anyone could have access unless you store it somewhere secure.

3. These updates are so annoying.

Who hasn't had something urgent to do when suddenly - update time. On Mac and Windows alike, you're stuck with them. They obviously aren't getting more frequent and automatic just for fun. Every 39 seconds, a hacking attempt takes place. Entire companies and departments work to keep hackers from taking control of your computer, tablet, smartphone, laptop, and so on. Think of them as vaccines for your devices. The more up to date you are, the more protected you are, so don't neglect them!

4. Slide to unlock

Lock your cell phone! It may seem trivial, but these days these devices give us a lot of access, not to mention everything stored on our phones: emails, documents, bank accounts, and more. Set your phone to lock automatically after 1 minute. Make sure you have a PIN or password. Today's technologies, such as facial recognition and fingerprint readers, make this step much easier.

5. Shh!

*Never* share sensitive or business-related information on social media. It's no secret that these companies make their revenue from your information. Rest assured, if they need access to it, they'll get it! As for passwords, never share them, period.

6. Hide that password I must not see

Don't leave your passwords lying around. I'm not just talking about the sticky note on your desk, but also a Word file or the notes app on your phone. If you absolutely must keep them somewhere secure, use a local password manager (not in the Cloud), preferably something like KeePass.

7. Open the attachment to discover this incredible news

Opening attachments in emails from strangers is a plague. SIMPLY DON'T OPEN THEM. Disable automatic macro execution as soon as possible. When in doubt, it's better to talk to your IT team. They'll be very happy!

8. There's an app for that!

Only install the applications you really need. This is true for your computer but also for your phone. The more apps you have, the higher the chance your data gets exfiltrated. Also keep an eye on the permissions apps request. Access to your Wi-Fi network for a budgeting app? That should raise a red flag in your mind!

9. Off the grid!

Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your phone and/or computer when you're not using them. Better to avoid attacks at the source when you can. Hackers can't get in if your means of communication are disabled.

10. Autofill? No thanks!

Online registration forms. Fill out as few as possible, and only sign up when it's truly necessary. If you have no choice, fill out only the bare minimum and uncheck the options that let them keep your personal data. Use a separate email for trials when needed.

In conclusion

Like all good habits, it's not always easy to put into practice every day. You can [contact us](https://www.mmotechno.com/contact/) to learn more about how to keep your business safe online.