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Telefonica TECH – Cyber Security Mechanisms for Everyday Life

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ElevenPaths    26 March, 2021
Cyber Security Mechanisms for Everyday Life

It is becoming more and more common to find in the general media news related to cyber-attacks, data breaches, privacy scandals and, in short, all kinds of security incidents. These incidents are not limited to attempts on large companies or important governments, as these tend to be the most protected ones.

When it comes to attacking, cybercriminals do not distinguish between company size or sector (remember that SMEs are the most targeted companies), also affecting the end user, most of the time totally unprotected. Given that this is such an obvious and important problem of which we are all aware, the question that arises is: are there cyber security mechanisms that allow us to strengthen our daily security?

In this blog we have already explained methods for working from home while applying cyber security or what to do in the event of an incident. Now, in this article, we would like to list the main measures that a user can implement to avoid becoming a victim of a cyber-attacks:

Protect Your Security with These Simple Tips

  • Be updated: every time we receive a notification to update the system, the first things that come to mind are things like “I don’t have time”, “it’s not convenient for me now”, “I’m too lazy”, etc. In short, excuses to postpone the update, which in many cases never comes. Keeping systems up to date is of vital importance, as in many cases these updates correct security flaws or vulnerabilities that have been discovered. An outdated system is much easier to corrupt.
  • Configure your home Wi-Fi network correctly: this is a simple step to take and can save you a lot of trouble. Change the default name and password on your Wi-Fi network – these passwords are often repeated from one network to another and can be easy to access. It is also important to hide the name of the Wi-Fi network and disable WPS.
  • Robust passwords: your date of birth, your dog’s name, your favourite football team… These are some of the most common tactics for choosing easy-to-remember passwords, but it’s a big mistake. Use robust passwords by making use of everything the keyboard has to offer, lots of characters, including both numbers and letters, upper and lower case and special characters.
  • Además, estos gestores tienen versión móvil así que los podemos llevar a todas partes. Use a password manager: a very common (and very dangerous) practice is to reuse passwords over and over again. Ideally, you should have a password for each application, social network or system you use. We are aware that remembering each and every password you should have is impossible, that’s why there are password managers such as KeepassLastPass or 1Password. In addition, these managers have a mobile version so we can take them everywhere.
  • iPatches, cover the camera! You will have seen more than once some small pieces of plastic that are used to cover the webcam of your laptop when you are not using it, its name is iPatch, and it helps to hide it from prying eyes. They can be purchased for very little money, or you can use a piece of paper with a piece of tape, a small coin or anything else you can think of.
  • Make sure you are up to date: if you are aware of the most common scam techniques and methods (often via phishing) it will be much more difficult for you to fall into the trap. Every Friday we publish, on this blog, a weekly newsletter with the latest relevant cyber security news.
  • Common sense: It seems obvious, but to avoid falling for cyber-attacks it is important to use common sense. Usually, if something is too good to be true, it is most likely to be a scam and can end up badly. Think twice, look for information and if you suspect, don’t take the risk.
  • Also on mobile phones: many users think that threats only affect computers, but this is not the case. Lately we have been seeing more and more campaigns directed specifically against mobile devices, so everything we have told you about, apply it to your mobile phone as well.

To find out more about cyber security mechanisms and keep up to date with everything that is happening in this exciting world, ElevenPaths offers content in several ways:

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