Living in our technologized world can be quite a challenge, especially if you don’t know too much about cybersecurity. Nowadays, nearly everyone has at least one online account that they frequently use and has possibly a few more that they have forgotten about. The important thing is to make sure that all those accounts are kept safe enough for the user not to fall for a hacker bait.
You may not have used your old MySpace account in years, but this won’t make any difference to a cybercriminal who wants your data. If are always using the same username and password for multiple accounts, things can get quite messy. Thankfully, in this article, we will be sharing some of the most common ways to maintain the security of your online accounts.
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Delete Any Accounts that You No Longer Use
There is one thing that usually happens with old and unused online accounts: hackers eventually get to them. What’s even worse is that most of the times, those old accounts act like a backdoor into the accounts that you currently use frequently, providing cybercriminals with valuable info on how to easily hack them. So, keep only the accounts that you are using and delete any older ones.
Think of the reduced number of names and passwords that you’ll have to remember. It is a win-win situation. If you want to know more about the world of online accounts and how to properly manage them, the website OnlineLoginGuides.com has several valuable step-by-step login guides for some of the most popular platforms including Netflix and Udemy.
Consider Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication has been a hot topic for a few months and many experts recommend it if you want to be on the safe side when it comes to your online accounts.
Most accounts including those from Apple, Microsoft, or Google now offer this possibility. But what does this actually mean? Well, if an ill-intentioned person gets access to your username and password, they will not be able to actually log in to your account because they won’t have a specific code that you will receive on one of your devices when someone is trying to connect. The hacker will need physical access to your device in this case.
A Password Manager Might Help You
If you have many online accounts that you frequently use and for which you have set different login IDs and passwords, which is highly recommended, you may have trouble remembering them all. Don’t worry, as there are some interesting and very useful apps and extensions out there that can do the job for you.
For example, LastPass or 1Password can manage your login credentials without you having to worry about remembering them all. Moreover, they can also generate complex and secure passwords and remembers them for you. This way, you won’t be tempted to set the same password over and over again, for fear that you won’t remember it.
Always Keep Your Software Up-to-Date
If there’s one thing that you should avoid when it comes to keeping your online accounts safe that’s outdated software.
Most vulnerabilities come from there, which means that you should always update both your operating systems and browsers to their latest versions. Fortunately, nowadays, most of them update automatically, precisely because of this problem. Check out this interesting article for even more useful tips on how to ensure online security and privacy.
Antivirus Programs Are Your Ally
Antivirus programs should be your number one ally in the fight against cybernetic attacks and cybercriminals. Most of them can protect your computer from unwanted guests unless you install something that’s completely compromised and dangerous. Both paid and free antivirus programs can shield you against phishing attacks.
Change Your Passwords Frequently
This is very important to step to take because this way, you can keep hackers guessing and your accounts will always be safe from their attacks. In case you already have a password manager installed, then you won’t have to do it manually as the program will take care of it. Moreover, changing your passwords regularly will keep your accounts secured in case there’s a universal attack going on.
Conclusion
All in all, it seems that keeping your online accounts safe, especially if you have lots of them, can be a difficult task. However, thanks to some useful programs and a little bit of care, you likely won’t get attacked by cybercriminals anytime soon. Maintaining the security of your accounts should not be ignored under any circumstances as your personal information is at risk, along with your devices, computer, and sometimes even your integrity and money.
