Everybody uses laptops and smartphones nowadays for personal and professional reasons. These devices store huge amounts of confidential data that you would want to protect at all costs. In particular, you must be careful when surfing the web because hackers constantly try to con you into clicking a malicious link or downloading software containing viruses.
Compared to Windows and Android devices, Apple products are less prone to viruses and malware. But Macs and iPhones are not completely immune to such attacks. If you leave a crack open in the line of defense, cybercriminals will find their way to crawl into your device and create mayhem.
Although Macs come with robust security features, you must protect your privacy. First and foremost, regularly back up your files and documents to avoid losing them.
Let’s look at some of the steps you can take to protect your privacy and security.
Always Create Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are the most important; in most situations, it is the only protection you’ll have against hackers and identity thefts.
If you don’t have passcodes or passwords for your laptop, computer, and/or smartphone, add them immediately. Locking your devices is essential to prevent unauthorized access. You can also lock your phone’s photo library using a password.
Similarly, your online accounts must also have strong passwords. The passwords must consist of letters and characters that are easy to guess. For instance, 1234567890, qwerty, or abcdef. You must also avoid using your birth date, parent’s name, partner’s name, anniversary date, or such easily identifiable information as your password. Moreover, it would be best if you made it your habit to periodically change the passwords of all your accounts to maintain security.
You might be wondering how to create a strong password that you will remember. It would be best to combine lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols, numbers, and special characters. The password must be longer than eight characters, and it can be a phrase that makes no sense, or random letters and characters put together. You can use password managers to generate and manage passwords, so you don’t have to worry about forgetting them.