Get Secure *Before* You Get Hacked

As I’ve been dubbed “Mr. Security” by my friends, family and clients (I pay significant attention to, and use, cybersecurity, privacy and software measures) but my pleadings with them to be secure often are ignored…until they get hacked. Then they plead with me to help them out and get their digital life on track. Usually it’s too little, too late, and the work to recover is enormous.

You should care deeply about your digital life and its security, especially since the risk of getting hacked is exploding! The World Economic Forum in its 2018 report (PDF) said blackhat hackers are gaining the upper-hand in cyber warfare…and they are coming after you…and even the experts can’t keep up:

“Offensive cyber capabilities are developing more rapidly than our ability to deal with hostile incidents.”

Here’s the good news: if you haven’t yet been hacked it’s likely you will at some point, so lets get you cyber secure NOW!

SECURITY CHECKLIST

I was delighted this morning to discover this Security Checklist, “An open source checklist of resources designed to improve your online privacy and security. Check things off to keep track as you go.”

The Security Checklist is very comprehensive, easy to follow, and one you should look at and implement as quickly as possible. It gives you the “why” and specific resources to use for each category, making this pretty brain-dead-simple to follow and implement:

• Password Manager
• Create a strong device passcode
• Use two-factor authentication
• Set up a mobile carrier PIN
• Encrypt your devices
• Freeze Your Credit
• Use 1.1.1.1 for DNS resolution
• Use a VPN
• Cover your webcam
• Use a privacy-first web browser
• Use a privacy-first search engine
• Review app permissions on your devices
• Review your social media privacy settings
• Educate yourself about phishing attacks

Go to Security Checklist