What you need to do right now in order to protect personal data on the Internet

1. Use unique passwords for different accounts

Each site should have a unique password that you do not use anywhere else. It may seem that the obvious advice. But it is sure to find a person who believes that it does not matter. Or that his password is impossible to crack or guess.

What for

Sites may crack, and the entire database with passwords to lay out in open access. Or you can accidentally enter your password on a clone of the desired site. If this suddenly happens, your damage limited to the loss of one account. But if you enter the same password on other services will be threatened, and your other accounts.

how

If you still do not, then ...

2. Use a password manager

Programs LastPass (Free) or 1Password ($ 2.99 per month) can store and generate secure passwords and synchronize them across multiple devices.

What for

If you know by heart all of your passwords, you can with a great degree of certainty that they are not safe. Password Managers have many causes mistrust: store all your passwords in one place for them means the same thing to put all eggs in one basket. Well, then it's a very secure shopping cart, on which work and are constantly updating the best security professionals.

how

Download Password Manager, install it on your computer or smart phone and start using. Optionally, change all passwords at once: when you want to log on the website, the manager will ask whether you want to save your password. This is a signal to you that you need to generate a new one.

3. Use random passwords

Each time generate a random secure password in the program, and do not invent your own.

What for

Complete password recovery using special software is becoming faster. If you have a method for creating a password, for example to take the first letter of the line in the poem, someone too probably already thought of this up and wrote a program for automatic selection of such passwords.

how

You already have a password manager, is not it? But even if not, some browsers will be able to do it for you. For example, Safari is able to generate random passwords when registering new accounts, and then stores them in the "Bundle iCloud keys."

4. Turn-step verification wherever possible

Many services, including Facebook, «VKontakte», Twitter, Gmail, Tumblr, Telegram and others, allow you to connect a two-step authentication. During sign-in, you must specify not only the password, but also to confirm the access to the second device (typically bind to a phone number).

What for

The third party will not be able to take over your account, even if she was able to steal your password. Two-step verification - this is an additional level of security, it becomes much more difficult because of which account hack.

how

Each service has its own instructions for connection authentication. But you can use the service Turn On 2FATo connect it immediately to all websites that you visit.

5. Update your software

Most programs have automatic update feature. Make sure to connect it.

What for

Most break-ins - it's an attack on vulnerabilities in programs that have long since become known and which are already fixed. Victims are users who have not installed the update. It is as if long ago invented a vaccine, and you will still get sick with smallpox. Pay particular attention to your operating system and browser.

how

Turn on automatic updates for all programs.

6. Set the PIN-code on your phone

On your phone, you can set the PIN-code to unlock. Take advantage of this opportunity. It is also possible to connect erase function, if PIN-code is repeatedly entered correctly.

What for

If your phone is stolen, and it will be unlocked, the options will not so much. But if the phone is locked, you can prevent the loss of huge amounts of personal data.

how

On the iPhone, choose "Settings» → «Phone» → SIM-PIN and check the box opposite the item "Erase Data". Every Android phone procedure will be different, but usually you can find all the security settings in the menu or "Lock Screen".

7. Configure full disk encryption

You can make sure that the hard disk on your computer will automatically be encrypted when turned off.

What for

It seems that the risk of losing the phone, and with it, and all the personal data - it's awful. But imagine what the consequences threaten the theft of a laptop or computer.

how

FileVault is available on Mac system connect to Windows BitLocker.

8. To backup to an external hard disk

Everything that is on your computer should be stored on a single physical medium. Everything that is on your phone must be on your computer, and all that is on your computer... you get the idea.

What for

If the worst happens and you lose everything, you should be able to recover the data. This may be due to an attack with the purpose of extortion or due to trivial accident on the power supply.

Can help cloud storage, but they also have their drawbacks: they are vulnerable to hacking and is generally "mirrors" information from your computer. So, if something is deleted from the local store, it can be removed and a cloud.

how

Buy cheap HDD.