Did you know that almost 29% of businesses who experienced data breaches lost business opportunities because of the breaches? However, you don’t have to own a business to lose from unauthorized data access and phishing software. You could lose your money, job, dignity, and even your identity when someone gains unauthorized access to your personal information.
Unfortunately, not a lot of people think about their computer privacy until it’s too late. At that point, by the time you address the issue, the damage done will be irreversible. Admittedly, not everyone is reckless about their data privacy; some people just don’t know how to go about the entire affair.
Everyone wants to keep their computers safe, but all the technical mumbo jumbo makes it seem like it’s not worth their time. The good news is that keeping your computer files and folders isn’t rocket science. Anyone who can use a mouse and keyboard can keep their files secure.
Keep reading and find out why computer privacy is so important and what you can do to keep your files secure.
Why Is Computer Privacy So Important?
First things first, we need to establish why computer privacy is so important.
Well, for starters, everyone likes their private stuff private, and the same goes for our files, folders, login credentials, and other private data. When your personal information falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be devastating, to say the least.
People have lost their jobs, entire life savings, and livelihoods because of someone gaining access to their personal information. The situation is even worse for businesses because they can lose revenue, customers, and crucial company information. So the next time you want to overlook data privacy, you might want to think again.
How to Keep Your Files Secure
Since there are limitless threats to computer privacy, there are many ways to keep your files secure. Thankfully, most of these methods don’t need any technical understanding of computer principles.
Here are a couple of tips for keeping your files secure.
Use Strong passwords
Starting with the basics, the first thing you should do to protect your files from unauthorized access is using passwords. The keyword here is strong because anyone can guess a weak password.
That said, here are some tips to help you create a strong password:
- Never use your birthday as a password
- The longer the password, the better it is
- Don’t use the same password for multiple accounts
- Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols for a stronger password
A better alternative to passwords are passphrases. Passphrases are just like passwords, but instead of characters are a string of words tied together. It’s easy to guess a password, but it’s almost impossible to guess a passphrase.
Install a Firewalls
Connecting to a network compromises your computer’s security, especially if you connect to a public network. That said, make sure you install a firewall o your computer for better security when you connect to a network. A firewall is software that prevents unauthorized access to a network.
A firewall monitors what comes in and out of a network and flags any suspicious activity. It also blocks unauthorized access and keeps a log of network events. If you don’t have a firewall, it’s best to steer clear from public networks, especially public wifi.
Install an Antivirus
You’re probably wondering what an antivirus has anything to do with computer privacy. Apart from warding off malware, antiviruses can also detect and eliminate phishing software. Phishing software is software that poses as actual software you use to gain your login credentials.
The phishing software will pretend to be the software you normally use and get your login credentials the next time you log in. The worst part is you won’t even know what happened until it’s too late. To be on the safe side, install a firewall to keep phishing software and other malware at bay.
Turn Your Bluetooth Off When Not in Use
Your Bluetooth could also be a gateway for hackers to gain access to your personal data. Bluesnarfing is when someone steals your information through a wireless Bluetooth connection. What’s more, hackers could even eavesdrop on calls and listen to your private conversation.
When it comes to bluesnarfing, prevention is way better than cure That said; it’s important to turn off your Bluetooth when not in use. What’s more, if you get any pairing request from devices you don’t know, decline them without a second thought.
Always Update Your Software
Most of us are guilty of ignoring software updates because they seem like a waste of time. However, most of these software updates include patches and fixes to various security loopholes in the software. Plus, with hackers coming up with new ways to breach your data, software updates are one way always to be a step ahead of the hackers.
Make sure you check now and then for software or OS updates. Alternatively, you can set a reminder for updating the same or, even better, set the updates to be automatic.
Hide Your Files
One sneaky way to sidestep snoopers who try to gain unauthorized access to your data is by hiding your files. Hiding your files is very easy, and when you want to see them again, you can just unhide them. You can hide these files on both Windows and macOS.
While most people know how to hide files on their Windows PC, you can’t say the same about Mac users. Sometimes hiding the files is easy but unhiding them is where the problem is. You can click on this link https://setapp.com/how-to/show-hidden-files-on-mac to learn how to hide and unhide hidden files on Mac.
Never Overlook Data Privacy
Given all that’s at stake, it would be very unwise to neglect computer privacy. Now that you know how to keep your files private and secure, you no longer have to worry about data breaches. However, don’t get too comfortable and lose yourself in the process.
Don’t stop now; there’s much more in store for you. For more informative reads, be sure to check out the other pieces on the site.