Cisco, tips for proper cyber hygiene

We have entered the month of cybersecurity and this is the reason why Cisco, a company that has always been attentive to the subject even with its business solutions, has set up a campaign that lasts throughout October and whose goal is to inform, educate and empower people on the subject of cyber security. So we have 10 tips that will help, according to Cisco, to improve awareness of the ever-present scourge of digital breach wherever it is directed.

«First of all, you need to keep personal information private. In the wrong hands, Personally Identifiable Information, combined with other personal data such as the date and place of birth or the name of the maiden mother, can cause identity theft and open the doors of your account or of your credit card »explains Cisco.

« The watchword is caution. Always pay attention to emails, even if they seem to come from a known person or a company we trust. So beware of grammatical errors in the message, urgent requests or exaggeratedly tempting proposals: always check the sender's email address, never provide personal information and beware of suspicious links ".

Important then update regularly the software. “Always check and apply the latest updates as cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for unpatched software - using updated software is one of the most effective ways to avoid an attack. You can also enable automatic updates, so the device remembers it ».

Speech to itself deserves the context of passwords. "We all use dozens of them, but a criminal who guesses just one of the passwords can quickly access a lot of personal information: bank details, social media accounts and even his home address. It is necessary to create unique, complex ones and keep them safely, but above all to change them often. The best way is a combination of letters, uppercase and lowercase, of numbers and symbols and a length of at least 12 characters. "

Use multifactor authentication (MFA or 2FA) whenever possible. This technology verifies your identity beyond your user ID and password and can block access in the event a password is compromised by a phishing attack or when an attacker attempts to access a prohibited system. br>
Hackers prefer free, public Wi-Fi networks. “You can never fully trust a publicly accessible Wi-Fi network. A hacker can log in and easily steal your personal information. Therefore, avoid connecting to sites that use and store your data, such as social media or online banking and, if you have to reply to an email and you are not at home, it is always better to use your smartphone and its data network " Cisco continues.

Watch out for traces. “When you use a public computer or any device that is not your own, it is very easy to be able to access your personal information. Remember to never save your password, to log out of the accounts you have used and to delete your cookies and browsing history ".

To protect privacy, you must always pay attention to the settings on the devices and online services used , so you can be sure to share only the information you need and nothing more. “Check the apps you use regularly. We often don't even realize what and how much information apps have access to. Before downloading a new application, you need to pay close attention to the permissions that are requested. "

Finally, Cisco reminds you that sharing knowledge on cyber security is everyone's duty. "Update your family, friends and colleagues to keep up with the times: cyber hygiene is an advantage for the community around us".