Remote workers, students: how to secure your devices? Step 3.
Step 3: vigilance!
In this final episode, we discuss how to keep your surroundings and your home applications as safe as possible, as well as keeping your cherished/secret/private data protected.
The secret is: “Constant Vigilance!” (Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody concurs).
With a bit of effort, you can go a long way. See for yourself:
Contemplate what you share and with whom.
Nowadays, it’s common to share your life online posting/blogging/vlogging/checking in/snapping and Instagramming about everything. Just be aware of what you share and, more importantly, with whom.
Criminals use social media for research on many fronts. Did you post your planned 3-weeks holiday for the whole world to see? Know that someone might check if you are gone and see what is in store.
If you just photobombed your redecorated living room, they already have a pretty good idea.
Do read those privacy statements on websites and in apps!
We know, they’re tedious!
Privacy statements state what the supplier is going to do with your data. Ranging from storing your address to monitoring your app usage (things you search for, time spent on a page, which pages you go back to, are you using a phone (and what type) or a PC, what IP address you originate from, and so on) to sharing all they collect about you with partners or third parties.
If that is not an issue for you, click "ok" and move on.
If the fit is an issue, it usually means you cannot use the app/service, for obvious reasons. You might get lucky finding an alternative, but your choices will entail restrictions. But you have a choice.
We published an article on how private your data is within WhatsApp and Facebook.
Use your common sense.
The final advice is possibly the most important. Most likely, if it smells fishy, it usually is! So, when in doubt, check, check, double-check.
Do not click on that link that feels suspicious, think about whether you should report it to the proper authorities, etc.
To top it all off, somebody that wants something of yours to abuse it will not be bound by social conventions. Frankly, they use them to pull a fast one on you. Prioritizing distrust is the standard. Unfortunately, it’s a necessity.
Still, these tips should help you be more vigilant and remember, it is better to check ten times over as opposed to failing just once. Thanks for reading!
To (re)discover the first episodes of this series, read them here & here.