Cyber hygiene practices are just like personal hygiene and equally important, as both of these contribute to maintaining good health and well-being, mentally and physically. By safeguarding your personal data and protecting yourself from external threats like malware, scams, hacking attempts, etc. cyber hygiene ensures the proper functioning of devices.
It encompasses precautions and measures to organize, secure, and safeguard sensitive data from theft and attacks. If you are looking for how you can access online education resources safely, you have come to the right place.
Top Tips for Cybersecurity Learners
Cyber hygiene is crucial to safeguarding user security, data, networks, and devices. It ensures the protection of sensitive information against theft and attacks, especially when it comes to children.
Similar to personal hygiene practices like handwashing and regular teeth brushing, families can prevent data breaches and identity theft through cyber hygiene precautions. It is important to remember that children are vulnerable to a range of cyber threats, including cyberbullying, malware, and ransomware. Therefore, learning the fundamentals of cyber hygiene and internet safety for students is vital for the entire family.
#1. Create common cyber hygiene rules
To maintain the security and performance of any newly established network, it is crucial to adopt a set of standardized practices for cyber hygiene. In the case of multiple users, these practices should be documented in a comprehensive policy that all network users must adhere to.
A cyber hygiene policy should encompass several key aspects, including:
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Password Management: Regularly changing complex passwords can effectively deter malicious activities and safeguard cyber security.
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Software Updates: Keeping software up to date, or considering superior alternatives, should be an integral part of your routine cyber hygiene review.
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Hardware Upgrades: Updating older computers and smartphones is necessary to ensure optimal performance and prevent potential issues.
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Proper Management of New Installations: Every new installation should be carefully tested and thoroughly documented to maintain an up-to-date inventory of all hardware and software.
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User Access Limitations: Access to programs should only be granted to authorized individuals requiring admin-level privileges, while other users should have restricted capabilities.
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Data Backup: To safeguard against breaches or malfunctions, it is essential to regularly back up all data to a secondary source such as a hard drive or cloud storage.
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Implementation of a Cyber Security Framework: Businesses may consider adopting and implementing an advanced cyber security framework, such as the NIST framework, to ensure comprehensive security measures are in place.
#2. Use VPN
VPNs can encrypt your connection, hiding your Internet activity from prying eyes.
If you install a good VPN on your PC, like VeePN, you can prevent your child and yourself from being spied on. Plus, no one can steal your data. Specifically, VeePN has a phishing check, so when you visit a fake site, the service will issue a warning and block the action. Plus, the service protects against viruses, DoS attacks, and some other vulnerabilities.
#3. Be careful when clicking on links
Malware can also lurk in suspicious links and email attachments as part of phishing campaigns.
When taking classes online, kids do receive emails from teachers, classmates, and school administrators, which means there's a good chance there will be phishing emails among these messages. They will seem to be from trusted sources, but they aren't.
For example, the email message might say they have to download school-related material or reset a password to some online learning resource. Make sure your kids aren't blindly clicking on links and attachments by showing them how to spot phishing attempts.
#4. Conduct regular software and hardware checks
To enhance the uniqueness and avoid detection by AI algorithms, it is important to focus on the following key steps when assessing applications on the internet:
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Update published software and apps.
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Don't use apps from non-trusted sources.
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Have a proper Firewall setup and anti-virus software.
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Uninstall programs that are not regularly used.
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Select specific software programs and apps for dedicated functions.
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Update your internet Modem or Router's drivers.
Choose a primary file storage solution, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, and use the other as a backup or delete it if necessary.
#5. Create strong passwords
It is fundamental for children to acquire essential skills in password management. These skills include:
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Crafting robust passwords
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Regularly updating passwords
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Avoiding password sharing
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Abstaining from logging into public devices or public Wi-Fi with passwords
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Understanding the concept of two-factor authentication
While children may find it tempting to create a single-word password without applying variations to it or use personally identifiable information in their passwords, these practices must be strictly avoided. Instead, children should be taught how to create passwords that are memorable to them but remain impervious to hackers.
Conclusion
Cyber hygiene is as necessary as regular hygiene. Yes, you can ignore them, but only for the time being. So you must make this habit and follow all the points mentioned in this article religiously.
