The importance of the concept of cybersecurity is increasing in today’s digital world, which is filled with daily activities carried out over the internet on various devices, from games and entertainment activities to online shopping, banking services, and electronic payments. In the midst of all these activities, attackers constantly evolve their electronic attack methods, which typically target computers and phones to infect them with malware and viruses for the purpose of stealing data on those devices to exploit it, or encrypting the data to force the device owner to pay money (ransom) in exchange for recovering important files. The concept of cybersecurity includes all technologies, controls, and procedures that can be applied to protect the security of data, systems, networks, and digital devices, and mitigate the risks of exposure to electronic attacks.
Important Digital Protection Tips in 2024
With the beginning of the new year 2024, many new types of computers, smartphones, and operating systems that have recently been introduced to the market have reached the hands of users around the world. With the use of these new devices, the importance of data security rules and technologies comes to the forefront, which must be adhered to and safeguarded against hackers and electronic attackers stealing our important data through them and using it for their illegitimate and undesirable purposes. In this article, we present a set of important tips and rules to ensure safe device use.
Use Strong Passwords and a Password Manager
Using a strong and unique password for each device and each account or application that requires login operations on these devices is a matter of great importance that should not be taken lightly. It is important to use strong and different passwords for each account individually to reduce the risks of exposure to brute force attacks, where attackers use algorithms to try to guess passwords for different user accounts based on data extracted from devices after penetrating them, which may expose important data such as banking and financial transaction data to theft.
To create strong passwords that pay maximum attention to data security, the password created must meet special standards, such as containing a mix of lowercase and uppercase English letters, numbers, and symbols to make it difficult for brute force algorithms to guess. Additionally, the chosen password should consist of an appropriate number of characters, making long passwords that meet the first condition of brute force algorithms and succeed in warding off this type of electronic attacks effectively.
Using a lot of long and strong passwords is not usually preferred by most users due to concerns about forgetting the passwords used and thus losing access to accounts and devices. It is also certainly wrong to follow the method of writing passwords on a paper and keeping them to avoid forgetting them, as the paper clip may be lost or viewed by others.
Here comes the importance of using a “password manager” program, where a user can use a single password that is easy to remember primarily with a number of additions, variations, additional characters, and changes that the program stores, and once the user types the main password, the password manager displays a list of long passwords derived from it, eliminating the need to worry about forgetting long passwords when using a password manager application.
Read also:How Long Does Artificial Intelligence Need to Guess Your Account Password?
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
Many applications and websites track the login method using two-factor authentication to protect their users’ accounts. Two-factor authentication involves verifying the user’s identity using two different methods of login before allowing access to their account or personal data. The first method usually involves entering the password created by the user, then entering a confirmation code sent by the site or application to the phone number or email associated with the account. If the user fails to enter either the password or the confirmation code correctly, they are not allowed to log into the account.
Two-factor authentication is an additional way to fend off electronic attackers or eavesdroppers if they successfully obtain user account passwords that may allow them access to highly sensitive data such as financial transactions or bank accounts. Some banking applications use a two-factor authentication method that combines the use of passwords and the use of biometric authentication methods such as fingerprint, while social networking sites like Facebook use a two-factor authentication based on passwords and confirmation codes sent to the phone.
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