6 Tips to Stay Safe from Theft, Hacking, and Cyber-Attacks

Here are six tips to stay safe from theft, hacking, and cyber-attacks:

1. Change Passwords Regularly – Exhibit the habit of changing passwords regularly, once a month should be enough. Regarding your password selection, make sure they are long enough that only you can decipher/remember what they mean. Formulating obvious passwords such as the date of birth or initials do not pass muster. Be creative when deciding your passwords by adding random combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols that are unrelated to you or your family.
2. Set Up Credit Card Alerts - Most banks and credit card companies have real-time notification services that allow them to contact you when a purchase seems "unusual." The message notification is an excellent way to know what happens to your card at all time.
   
   Some credit card companies even allow you to set parameters for text notifications. This way a lunch in your area can fly under the radar, but purchasing on the other side of the country will ask for your permission to confirm that you are the one making the purchase.
3. Subscribe To Identity Protection - What hacker malware does is find its way into private files, grab your credit card and personal information, and sneak you. Many identity protection companies will monitor your credit card, social security number, and other data for a fee.
4. Think Before Biting Into Data – Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways users get hacked. The email from your preferred retailer may seem legit, but after you click one of the URLs, you could land on a hacked infected website. Do not click on links that are not secure. Be wary of USB devices claiming to charge your cell phone or other devices. They can poison you with malware or destroy all your data.
5. Keep Private Data private - Unfortunately, there is a constant threat you always worry about your information, whether you are on the road (mobile phone, hidden cameras for sale, wallet, and laptop) or at home (PC, mobile phone). Take extra precautions in providing information to unsolicited callers. The more you communicate, the more you learn. Many people make calls to the unwitting consumer and can easily move the listener into thinking they are an authorized vendor.
6. Use a VPN - VPNs serves as an intermediary between the internet server and your device, routing all activity through the little loop of the internet that is encrypted, meaning a would-be intruder will find it impossible to hack your information out or know what you’re doing, whether this is on a mobile, tablet or computer.

Conclusion: do not give out your passwords or personal information to unsolicited callers. When surfing new websites, to ensure its security, make sure there is a closed lock symbol at the bottom right of the screen. Web addresses that begin with “https” are secure, and if you click on the lock symbol on the bottom right, it will display the same “https” address.