How to secure Yourself Online

In here I am explaining some steps to secure your accounts and devices to avoid them getting hacked. I will first start with common factors then move on specifically to mobile devices and then Desktops/laptops

ACCOUNT SECURITY :

1. Always secure your accounts with difficult passwords which are atleast 10 characters long. Make sure to include a UPPERCASE letter, a SPECIAL SYMBOL ( e.g. #@^#@&) and a number in it.

 2. Use TFA ( Two STEP VERIFICATION) for all accounts wherever possible. You will require an OTP every time you sign in with your password as 2nd layer of protection.

 3. Use BIOMETRICS along with regular password. Many bank apps and also some other apps provide BIOMETRIC password to login. Its the safest as of now.

 4. Login Prompts. Company like google provide login prompts on your mobile when you try accessing your accounts from other device. The login wont be allowed till you give permission to login from your mobile.

 5. Back officials or even officials from corporates never ask PIN, password, credit card number or CVV of your card. Never share these details with anyone. Its also a good IDEA to call your bank helpline and activate OTP or 3D secure PIN (Extra) for your card online transactions.

 6. Last but not the least which is common sense. Do not share your password with anyone at all. This is something taken lightly but often done by many.

 7. DEVICE HISTORY : Almost all online websites like FACEBOOK, GOOGLE provide a way to have a DEVICE HISTORY of the devices logged in your account. You can check the same and remove the device that you dont recognize. Public Figures might have their managers logged in to their accounts, please confirm their device before you remove it.

 8. LEGACY CONTACTS : Digital property has become as important as material property. Leading websites now offer legacy contacts which can help you get access to your account when you cannot access it after a hack or similar situation. Legacy contacts also get to access your accounts after your death if mentioned.

 9. TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT : You can also set the account to be deleted if you don't use it for a certain amount of time. This can be set if you don't want anyone to access your account after death. You can also set the same way to memorialize account after your death or allow your managers or estate executors to continue with your public page after your death. Its entirely controllable.

MOBILE DEVICES SECURITY :

1. Unfortunate but true, your OS (Operating System) of the mobile phone regardless of ANDROID/APPLE need to be the latest. Latest OS means latest phone. But even then going 2 years old phone is fine. Right now Android OREO and Android PIE have the greatest security layer. Your old android phones before that are going to be risky. Apple's iphones on the other hand have always been talking about the privacy and security they offer which is very much true. But Apple's compatibility with other devices and its high price doesn't nowadays make it worth it. Apple has lost its design or innovative factor after Steve Jobs died but people who don't even use 2% of what an iphone offers buy that phone at that prices to make a STATUS statement. I suggest stay on android if you are not already on apple.

 2. Android phones generally come with their own security scanners and phones like Samsung have their KNOX technology to secure your apps and content that you dont want others to see. Its a good idea to make a good use of this technology available.

 3. Privacywise put a white or opaque take on the selfie camera for privacy reasons. Many FREE apps which include leading games and services ( especially government services) have access to your camera and they actually record it. If you don't believe me search google news about owner of Facebook - Mark Zuckerburg who masks his selfie camera with the tape to. I don't need to add, he does that despite being the owner of the biggest privacy infringing company. Who will know better than him?

 4. Dont use free apps which are not made by software leaders like Google, Microsoft, etc. Even simple games take up a lot of permissions to use your phone details like contacts, sms and other things. Imagine why would it require to access your camera when its a simple game. Unfortunate but true, after MY JIO app or SHAREIT, the most dangerous apps might be the ones made by a government. You will realize this with the sheer number of permissions it asks to access when you install them. You might install and use these apps with a patriotic feel, but I suggest that you can use your patriotism elsewhere.

 5. Company matters. Not all mobile companies are safe. When you are paying very less for very high specs you are 100% compensating your privacy and security. Go only for established brands. Totally avoid some brands which are priced cheap with great technical specs. 

 6. Most of the new devices will come with IRIS SCAN, FINGERPRINT, PATTERN and PIN. If your mobile is not used just by you and you leave it in spaces where others can access it, its better to have multiple security layers. You can use all or any of the above.

 7. All mobiles come with FIND MY MOBILE option irrespective of the make. APPLE will provide APPLE services for this and ANDROID phones will provide GOOGLE Service for this as well as your OEM (MAnufacturer like Samsung) will provide their own. Its a good idea to set this up. You will be able to locate your mobile from anywhere when its charged. When your mobile is lost or stolen you can initiate permanent lock or mobile deletion from a remote device to protect your data.

PC/LAPTOP :

Though almost all points mentioned above cover this area there are a few tweaks needed for PC or Laptops.

1. Install authentic Operating System preferably Windows 10. Any windows version before that will be weak in security. Though Microsoft claims good support for Windows 8, my own and many peoples experience says its highly unstable.

 2. Saying the above point note that its not easy to upgrade an old PC to Windows 10. Windows 10 won't support half of the old devices or their drivers. That creates more problem. When you are thinking of Windows 10 upgradation, think of upgrading to a new machine itself.

 3. Windows 10 does come with an inbuilt firewall and malware scanner, but there is no harm in installing one more antivirus though it will disable the windows inbuilt software. Always remember FREE softwares wont do the job that paid softwares do, so try to analyse how much important is your data in terms of how much money you want to spend protecting it. 

 4. Cloud is the next big thing and happening thing. There is a limited free cloud and there is paid cloud. Paid cloud doesn't mean just more STORAGE it also means better security and encryption for your data. You could skip that luxurious lunch at some fine dining 3-4 times a year and invest that money in securing and uploading your important data. Its totally worth it. 

 5. Just like in case of mobile devices, avoid installing free apps. FREE means its going to screw up your device security and your privacy as well. It will also inject your systems with adware which can be risky big time. Avoid buying or using even free apps/programs just because they have a high rating. Legacy of a company matters more than their ratings because ratings are manipulated.

Hope I have solved a lot of queries asked to me time and again. If I have missed something feel free to contact me for more information, I will surely reply you and add it up in this article as well.