Your Personal Cybersecurity Checklist: Safeguarding Your Digital Assets

In the 21st century many of our most valuable assets are digital. Your personal data, savings, mortgage, and investments are all stored online. 

It’s convenient, but it has its risks. As life moves more and more online, scammers and criminals are ready to take advantage of the unwary. 

However, you can protect yourself by following best practices for online privacy. Follow our cybersecurity checklist to help stay safe online. You’ll learn how to prevent data breaches from your internet devices, email, and social media. 

Understanding cybersecurity risks

In the UK alone, over 22,500 people had their email and social media hacked in 2023, losing over £1.3 million. That’s before you add on the cost of online shopping fraud, dating scams and hacked bank accounts. 

However, most hackers aren’t mathematical geniuses. They rely on human error to trick their way into your online identity.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common threats and how they work. 

Remember,these are cybersecurity tips for individuals. The same online privacy best practices usually apply to businesses. However, your employer might ask you to take extra cybersecurity awareness training. 

Risks associated with weak passwords

From 2022 to 2023, the number of cyberattacks that used stolen or compromised passwords increased by 71%. That’s a scary statistic when you think of how much we use passwords. They're on everything from bank accounts to medical records, online shopping, phones, and emails.

Hackers can guess weak passwords or use tech to figure them out. You need strong passwords or two-factor authentication to help protect your personal information online.

Dangers of public Wi-Fi networks

When you’re out and about, it’s tempting to log into public Wi-Fi instead of using mobile data. But free Wi-Fi can come at a cost.

Free Wi-Fi networks can be insecure. When you get online, hackers might be able to see all the information you’re uploading and downloading.

It’s safer to use a VPN while you’re on public Wi-Fi. Or, even better, to stick to networks you know. Never access sensitive information while you’re on public Wi-Fi.

Essential steps to protect your online privacy

Cybercrime is everywhere. But you don’t need to be a computer genius to protect your personal information online. 

You can help keep safe online by following a few basic online safety tips. Here’s a simple cybersecurity checklist for your emails, social media, and web browsing.

Look out for suspicious emails

Scammers often try to get hold of personal information by sending bulk emails, known as “phishing emails”. The email seems like it’s from a friend, co-worker, or bank — but it’s an attempt at a data breach.

Modern email providers have a lot of security features, but they’re not perfect at filtering out scams. Experts recommend using the SLAM method to spot suspicious emails:

• Sender: First, look at the email address of the sender. Make sure it matches their name and business. 

• Links: Hover over links to see where they lead before you click. If you’re suspicious of an email, don’t click any links at all.

• Attachments: Don’t open attachments if they’re from someone you don’t know, or if you don’t know what they are. They may contain a malicious computer virus, commonly known as  malware.

• Message: Read the message in detail. Bad grammar or spelling mistakes are often a sign of scammers at work. Putting pressure on you by making threats or saying that time is running out is also a red flag. As a rule, you should never share your passwords with anyone, ever!

You can always visit a company’s website or ring them up to check that an email is genuine. Make sure you find their contact details on your own instead of using links and numbers from a suspicious email.

Finally, remember the golden rule of scams: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Reviewing and adjusting privacy settings on social media

Scammers are also active on social media. They can gather information from public profiles to steal your identity or trick you into sharing personal data. 

You can stay safe online by setting your social media profiles to private. That means only friends can see what you post, and you can approve or reject anyone who asks to connect with you. 

Some social networks will now offer you online safety tips and even basic cybersecurity awareness training. Check your privacy settings and use their guides to protect personal information online.

Understanding web browser privacy features

Even your internet browser could be vulnerable to hackers. Whether you use Chrome, Safari, or another browser, you should still follow the same online privacy best practices.

• Always check the web address before sharing personal information or putting in a password. Are you sure that you’re on the right website?
• Use recommended browser settings to protect you from third-party cookies and pop-ups.
• Sometimes, your browser might show a safety warning before you click through to a website. Pay attention to the warning and don’t skip it. Browsers are good at spotting fake websites which could be run by scammers.

Using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for secure browsing

Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an extra data breach prevention strategy. A VPN is like a private channel to the internet from your device. 

Experts recommend using a VPN if you have to connect to the internet on public Wi-Fi. You can use a VPN on a laptop or a mobile device. 

Securing your devices and accounts

Cybersecurity starts with protecting your social media, emails, and Wi-Fi connection. However, your devices themselves can also be vulnerable to scammers.

Follow our online safety tips to protect your computer, mobile, and other internet-enabled devices.

Enabling device encryption for added protection

Encryption means protecting data by scrambling it with mathematical models. Only someone with the key, or password, to decrypt the data can unscramble it.

You can encrypt any device that contains sensitive information, such as a mobile phone, laptop, or desktop computer. If you use data backups, such as an external hard drive, you can encrypt that too. 

Many devices now have encryption built in. You just have to turn it on and set a password. You can find it by searching for encryption in your security settings. 

Setting up device locks and biometric authentication

It’s a good idea to set locks or passwords on all your devices. That way, no one else can use the device or access your personal information.

There are several different kinds of device locks you can use:

• Passwords
• PINs
• Biometric authentication, such as a fingerprint or face scan

Never leave sensitive devices unlocked. And if you use a PIN or password, make sure you change it regularly.

Monitoring account activity for signs of unauthorised access

Digital devices and accounts are pretty smart these days. If someone tries to access your device without permission, they’ll often send you a warning. 

It’s always worth reading security reports and alerts from your device and online accounts. It might be your email provider noticing that you’ve logged in from a new location or it could be an attempted data breach.

If you’re worried that someone has compromised your account, you should change your password.  You should also check your credit score, bank cards, and lines of credit. If there are any changes or activities that you don’t recognise, it could be a sign of fraud. 

Best practices for cybersecurity

Now that we’ve covered online behaviour and devices, cybersecurity is next on our list of online safety tips. That includes managing your passwords, software, and home Wi-Fi connection.

Creating strong passwords

You already know that you should use passwords, keep them secret, and change them regularly. But you also need to make sure that your passwords are strong.

Strong passwords are hard to guess or manipulate. There are a few different ways to make your passwords stronger.

• Use a different password for every account. Never repeat passwords.
• Use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, punctuation, and numbers.
• Try the “three words” system to make more memorable passwords: three unrelated words linked together.
• Use a password manager. A password manager is a secure programme that generates long, complex passwords and remembers them for you.

Implementing two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication is another data breach prevention strategy.

The first “factor” in two-factor authentication is your password. The second “factor” could be a code sent to your email, mobile phone, or an authentication app. Even if a scammer got hold of your password, they wouldn’t be able to get the code as well (unless they had access to all your accounts/devices).

It’s a good idea to use two-factor authentication for any sensitive accounts. That includes your email, social media, any account with personal information, and any account that’s linked to your bank or card details.

Wi-Fi security measures

Your Wi-Fi at home is a lot more secure than public Wi-Fi. But it can still have security flaws. 

To stay safe online, you should update the usernames, passwords, and settings on your home Wi-Fi router. Many people leave the default passwords in place, which makes them vulnerable to hackers.

Maintaining security with regular updates

You can protect your software, devices, and accounts by installing updates when recommended. Updates often include patches that fix security gaps which hackers could exploit. 

Most modern devices have built-in antivirus and cybersecurity firewalls. However, you might still need to accept updates and pay attention to any security alerts that they flag up.

Backing up your data: importance and strategies

If a hacker does get access to your personal information or devices, then there’s a risk that you could lose your data. Some criminals even hold data for ransom, asking you to pay them to see your files again. 

It’s a good idea to back up your data so that you can still access it, even if your devices are hacked, lost, or damaged. Here are our top cybersecurity tips to protect your data backups.

Enabling device encryption for added protection

Like encrypting your laptop or mobile, you can encrypt backup devices too. Many of them have built-in encryption services, or you can buy or download encryption software to take care of it for you.

Always check that you’re downloading software from a reputable website with positive reviews.

Setting up device locks and biometric authentication

Data backups need to be password protected, like other devices. You can use biometric authentication and two-factor authentication for extra cybersecurity. 

Monitoring account activity for signs of unauthorised access

Most data backup devices or services have built-in security. It’s not perfect, but it’s effective if you pay attention to cybersecurity features and alerts.

Never ignore warning messages about unauthorised access. If your backup has been accessed and you don’t think it was you, check your files and update your passwords.

Conclusion

When you start looking into cybersecurity, it can feel overwhelming. There are so many ways for scammers to try and access your personal information.

But you can protect yourself by following this cybersecurity checklist. By using online privacy best practices, you’ll avoid the most common mistakes that let hackers in.