Most of us have fears when it comes to cyber security. You might worry about the vulnerabilities of your business as well as the threats you and your family face personally. Nobody wants to deal with hackers, ransomware, or a stolen identity.
The team over at Google wants to help you protect yourself too. If you haven’t already checked out the Google Safety Center, you should. It’s full of helpful resources for individuals and families, many of which you can easily put into place. Here’s a rundown of some of what you’ll find on the site, but we encourage you to check out the site for all the information they offer.
Secure your passwords. We talk about the importance of strong passwords with clients all the time and Google shares some of the same tips: use long passwords with a combination of characters; keep your passwords private; and never reuse passwords.
Use a secure network. Google has a great video on the Google Safety Center that explains the importance of securing your own personal Wi-Fi and an overview of the best ways to do that. Also remember that public Wi-Fi can be a huge threat to your mobile devices. Be sure to set up your device to NOT automatically connect to available Wi-Fi. Only connect to those networks you know are secure.
Keep your device clean. This page has tips on how to identify signs of malware on your computer, and a few steps to help remove it if you do. They also offer tips on how to prevent malware, the first of which is keeping your browser and operating system up to date. We whole-heartily agree and want to encourage you to keep everything installed on your computer or devices updated. Our blog “Install Now” or “Remind Me Later” goes into the reasons you should keep everything patched and updated, all the time.
Combat identity theft. Google uses several techniques to keep your Google account safe, including: 2-step authentication, encryption, suspicious account activity warnings, email authentication, and spam protection. Google shouldn’t be the only one offering you this kind of protection. Whenever you create a new account that requires you to share your personal information, give some attention to how they manage the security of the information you are sharing with them.
Family safety basics. Some of our favorite hints on the Google Safety Center are about how to manage online safety with your family. It all starts with having conversations about what is safe and what isn’t and how important it is to follow the rules. However, we want our families to feel safe and confident, so they also share tips on setting up parental controls on common tools like your browser and YouTube.