Do you know how to manage your smartphone, laptops and tablets to protect yourself from hackers?
During National Cyber Security Awareness Month this October, it’s a good time to brush up on the latest need-to-know info about how to protect your privacy, and secure your data. Here are some important tips and tricks:
- Use HTTPS on every website to encrypt all of the information sent by your browser from your device to websites.
- Turn off your phone’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings. Hackers can spoof local networks, and trick your phone into connecting to their own (fake) Wi-Fi hotspots.
- Password protect all your mobile devices. Don’t stay logged into email, Facebook, or other private accounts on your smartphone if you’re not password protected. A lost or stolen phone could grant easy access to your information.
- Turn off your GPS and location functions. When you take a picture on your smartphone, the photo data file will contain an IP address that can be used to find you, unless you change your settings. (Hackers have used photos posted online to find people.)