It is a known fact that Nigerians are extremely exposed online. The reason we have, however, not started witnessing monumental hacking is simply because we are still largely an offline country. The moment we begin to operate fully online and the hackers know that they can transfer money online in real time from a local account to an escrow account abroad or shop and payment is received real time, then, they are most likely going to start striking at us hard, real time. Maybe, then, the Government, organizations and individuals will start taking online security much more seriously.
Here are some tips to help you stay safer online in 2016:
- Don’t use the same password on more than one site
- Make sure each password is unique and must be alpha-numeric with a minimum of 10 characters
- Use a premium Anti-Virus; like the one I am giving out on techsmart.ng at no cost
- Upgrade all software and mobile apps, so as to ensure that you are operating on the latest version
- Never click on any link; inform your family members and employees because they are always the weakest links.
- Make sure you keep a backup of all your folders because nothing is foolproof on the Internet. Anything can still happen.
- Do not load software or mobile apps from sources that are not trusted; they might just contain malware.
- Finally, if it is too good to be true, then, you should not touch it with a ten-foot pole! Do not allow hackers trick you by increasing your curiosity while browsing. So be careful when next you see that video! Do not be greedy or covetous online!
Remember, it is your responsibility to train your staff and family members to be more security conscious, in this New Year, otherwise, they might fall prey and this might still come back to haunt you. You can also let us know your experiences on attempts at defrauding you online and how you overcame the situation. You might be helping someone in the community solve a similar situation.
