Good computer security is for life, not just for Christmas

 

 

1. If Santa brings you a gadget that connects to the internet and which requires a username and/or password, it will probably arrive down your chimney with default entries such as “admin” or “1234”.  It’s vital that you change these as soon as possible, so that hackers can’t get into your device.  This is especially true if you receive a webcam, as criminals are commonly exploiting vulnerable webcams to spread malware.

 

2.When did you last change the passwords on your most important services, such as your accounts for online banking, shopping, email, PayPal and so on?  If it’s been a year since last you did it, set aside half an hour and change them.  The easiest way to come up with a sufficiently long password is to choose 2 or 3 unrelated words with a digit or symbol between them.  For example vehicle7gorilla or speak3museum8birch.  

 

3.However you choose your passwords, try not to write them down.  At least, not anywhere as obvious as a book made specifically for the purpose.  Yes, that’s one of them in the picture.  You can actually buy them on Amazon but please don’t.

 

4.Never use the same password on more than one system.  Otherwise, if one of them gets hacked the criminals now know your other passwords too.  For the same reason,  don’t use the “sign up with your Facebook account” feature on a web site unless it’s one for which you aren’t particularly concerned about safety or security.

 

5.When you take back that hideous jumper and get a refund, use the money to buy yourself an external USB disk drive.  Back up all your important data from your PC, then unplug the drive and store it somewhere safe.  Preferably in a different location, such as at the office.  Re-do the backup every couple of months or so.  

 

6.Remember that using a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or OneDrive doesn’t count as a safe method of backing up.  If your computer gets hit by a virus or ransomware, your data in the cloud will get corrupted or deleted alongside all the files stored on your PC. 

 

7.Keep an eye on your email over Christmas for suspicious messages.  Don’t click on unknown attachments, such as e-cards from people you’ve never heard of.  Never reply to spam, or you’ll just end up receiving loads more.

 

8.Make sure your antivirus or other security software is up to date.  If your annual subscription is about to run out, renew it.  Or use one of the free options such as Windows Defender.

9.If you’re tempted to spring clean your PC, don’t bother.  A defragger or a registry cleaner is not necessary nowadays as Windows takes care of such things all by itself.  Have another mince pie instead.

 

10.Finally, if you’ve had a steady stream of friends, family and complete strangers using your Wi-Fi over Christmas, consider changing the password in time for the new year.  Even if your house guests are 100% trustworthy, it’s still a good idea to change the wifi password occasionally.  Remember that you could be liable (or at least embarrassed) if someone was to use your wifi to download unsavoury material from the web, and your signal probably reaches farther than you think.