If you ask anyone if security is important, they’ll respond with a resounding yes. It’s so glaringly obvious to everyone that being secure is a necessity, and yet 22% of cyber breaches occur as a result of human error. So why is this the case? It’s because of our mindset. People neglect cybersecurity because it's convenient. It's also easy to assume that the applications you use are secure. From a front-end perspective, it all just works. Anyone who doesn’t work in the tech industry won’t ever know exactly how an email gets sent, they just know when they click the send button, whomever they sent the email to will receive it. What they don’t see is the dozens of processes that message will go through before it’s spat out the other end. Which is exactly the problem: People assume technology is more secure than it is.

Now, technology is a very broad category, so to understand every aspect of it would be ludicrous. Fortunately, to make yourself more secure online, you don’t need a university degree. A good place to start is to follow a few of these 5 simple steps.

CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS YEARLY.
Also make sure you don’t use the same password for more than one website. Since it’s difficult to remember several different, difficult passwords, consider a password manager.

ALWAYS UPDATE YOUR OPERATING SYSTEMS.
One reason companies release updates for operating systems is to fix bugs or exploits. It may seem tedious to update so often, but it’s definitely worth it.

BE AWARE OF WHO HAS ACCESS TO WHAT.
Whenever humans are involved, security is at risk. Ensure that sensitive data is only accessible by people you know you can trust. Which leads into my next point...

DON’T TRUST STRANGERS ONLINE.
Yes, your parents were right. As business moves online, you will be dealing with an increased number of people you’ve never met before. Be certain of the identity of who you're talking to, before discussing sensitive information with them. Assuming everyone is a threat probably won’t make you any friends, but it will make you more secure.

GET YOUR SYSTEMS TESTED.
If your business has complex infrastructure, get it tested. There are many ethical hackers willing to test whatever infrastructure you have. Here at GlitchSnitch, we focus on testing Web Applications, other companies will test software, networks or even your physical security. One of the best ways to be as secure as possible is to simulate an attack and spot any risks before an attacker does.

 

Don’t dismiss these tips just because you’ve never been compromised before. In a survey of 10,000 adults in the United States conducted by Webroot, 88% of respondents believed they are taking the appropriate steps to secure themselves online, so it’s likely you thought you were as well. The fact is, you can always be MORE secure. So take some time on this list and make a few changes. It is always better to be safe than sorry.