Hacking. When we think of hacking, we often think of governments or large companies, because why would someone want to hack you? Unfortunately, hacking happens to governments and ordinary people alike. There is no 100% defense against hacking, however that are ways that you can minimize your vulnerability. If you are a small business owner, with a website and business accounts that you manage online, use these tips below to mitigate your risk. 

Tip 1: Strong passwords

And, we’re not just talking one really strong password that you use for all of your accounts either. You need separate passwords for each account that you hold, and they all need to be strong. This way, if one of your accounts gets hacked, the rest of your information in the other accounts isn’t vulnerable too.

The biggest push back to this solution: it’s tough to remember passwords, let alone strong ones, and for each account? It seems daunting, but password management software tools can be a great way to keep all of your passwords in order. A password generator can also be a great tool to create a password that doesn’t have ties to who you are, which makes it harder to hack.

Tip 2: Two-Part Authentication

We all have several devices (I.E. work computer, laptop and mobile device) that we are logging onto to check our email, update our website, and manage bank accounts. These different log in’s make you especially vulnerable to hackers.

Now many websites are moving toward a two-step verification process. This means that you need more than one password to be able to log into the account. It goes something like this: you go to your Google account, put in your log in credentials, and then a screen will open asking to send a verification code to your phone. The verification code ensures even if someone stole your password they wouldn’t be able to log into your account.

Tip 3: Change Your Behavior

It’s hard to admit, but many of us go without updating our software, we browse openly on the internet, and we share everything on social media. Each of these habits make us a more vulnerable to hackers.

• Updating software is easy to do and fixes any loop holes hackers have found. It’s a simple way to keep hackers out.
• Using private browsing tabs makes our search history a little less out in the open. It’s harder to follow the trail of where you’ve been in a private browsing search.
• Finally, I know that social media is a great place to share with friends and family. However, sharing everything leaves a nice timeline of your habits, your personal information, pictures of yourself, etc. Continue to share, but try to share less.

Moving forward with these tips does take time and money, but it is well worth the investment to mitigate having your personal information hacked. If hacking is something you’re concerned about, and you’d like to know more, please give us a call 970-266-0703.