1. Make your password secure – it's this simple
- Ideally, your password should contain at least eight characters, and it should include lower- and upper-case letters and special characters. Avoid straightforward number sequences (1, 2, 3, 4 ...).
- Here's a way to create a password that you can easily remember: Think of a simple sentence and then use the first letter of each word in it. For example: ESmfb10faats! (Every Saturday my father buys 10 fresh apples at the store!)
- Use a different password for each online service you use and for each of your devices.
2. Social media: Be stingy with your personal data
- When you create social media accounts, be sure to select privacy settings that will hide personal information such as your e-mail address, your home address and your cell phone number.
- Know what rights you are granting to each social media operator, such as rights to your pictures and data.
- And remember that criminals can send you friend requests. Always be aware that the person behind a request may be hiding their real identity.
3. Don't know that sender? Then don't open that mail – just delete it
- Be wary of e-mails with file attachments, when you don't know the sender. Such attachments can contain malware that can be triggered as soon as you open the e-mail. So just delete such e-mails, without opening them.
- Keep your system up to date and protect yourself with a good virus scanner.
4. Wi-Fi: How to stay secure at home and in public spaces
- Be sure that encryption is turned on in your wireless router, so that all users will require a password to access your Wi-Fi network.
- Take special precautions with public Wi-Fi networks that offer free public access. When you use such networks, never enter passwords or other sensitive data – they could be liable to being grabbed!
5. Online banking: Never disclose your login data
- Mistrust e-mails in which a "bank" asks you to disclose your login data. Such e-mail requests are a deceptive tactic known as "phishing." In phishing, fraudsters pose as bankers in order to trick people into revealing sensitive data. Always contact your bank for all information related to online banking.
- For secure online banking, your PC or smartphone needs to have its operating system up to date and needs to have virus protection.
6. Your smartphone: Turn your "open house" into a "Fort Knox"
- Protect access to your phone with a PIN number, a lock pattern, a password or your own fingerprint. Enable Wi-Fi only when you absolutely need to.
- Keep your phone up to date. That's how to keep security vulnerabilities to a minimum. And remember that you can protect your phone with antivirus apps. Some antivirus apps are available free of charge.
- Download apps only from trustworthy sources. Remember that smartphones, just like laptops and PCs, can be targeted by hacker attacks and malware (viruses and "Trojan horses").
