50+ Internet Security Tips & Tricks from Top Experts If you’re looking for a shortcut to better Internet security, this is the resource you need to read.
LAST UPDATED ON JUNE 27, 2016
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ANDRA ZAHARIA (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/author/andra/)
We invited 19 cyber security experts to share their top 3 tips for staying safe online
SECURITY EVANGELIST
(http://twitter.com/AndraZaharia) (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrazaharia)
This is the fastest way to learn how to keep your data safe from a reliable source. All thes
The experts involved range from researchers, to bloggers and journalists who have been
Plus, you can download a PDF version of this collection of Internet security tips and tricks Time to see what these specialists answered when we asked:
Can you name 3 internet security tips any user needs to follow
1. Neil Rubenking, Lead Analyst PC Magazine
Use a strong, unique password for every website. Yes, that means you’ll have to insta
Set your smartphone to lock after a short idle time, and set it to require authentication
Never click links in emails or texts that seem to come from your bank, the IRS, or any
Check out @neiljrubenking’s from @pcmag #infose text=Check+out+%40neiljrubenking%27s+from+%4 roundup/)
2. Kelly Jackson Higgins, Executive Editor Da There are no foolproof ways to stay safe online, but here are a few tips:
Use a VPN connection, whether you’re on a corporate network or a public wired or W
Keep all applications up-to-date with the latest patches, and use a less-targeted bro
Create very strong and complex passwords and change them often, and never, ev
.@kjhiggins from @DarkReading: There are no fool text=.%40kjhiggins+from+%40DarkReading%3A+Th
3. Andrei Petrus, Product Manager, Avira (http
While people understood how critically important the essential protection of antivirus softw
PUAs (Potentially Unwanted Applications) are the new foemen in the online real
Free software always come at a price, most frequently by side installing adware, browser download portals / vendors.
.@Avira’s @AndreiPetrus: PUAs are the new foeme text=.%40Avira%27s+%40AndreiPetrus%3A+PUAs
Mobile devices are an open gate to our privacy, secrets, and money (mobile ban
Be very careful what apps you choose to install and pay special attention to what permis Ask loudly for your right to privacy.
Don’t ever say I have nothing to hide, because that’s equivalent to I don’t care about th
4. Lee Munson, BH Consulting’s Social Media Never use the same password twice.
As we sign up for ever more accounts and services it becomes extremely tempting to reus
If your login credentials are ever grabbed by a hacker – and with the number of data brea
If creating a large number of complex, hard to guess passwords is a challenge consider u
Lee (@Security_FAQs)’s 1st #infosec top: Never u text=Lee+%28%40Security_FAQs%29%27s+1st+%
Think twice before clicking on links found in emails, especially if you don’t know
Whether you’re at home or at work, chances are, you’ll receive emails from time to time th
data – and maybe your money too – should you visit them and enter your username and p
Be careful what you download, and ask questions about the site you are downlo
We live in a digital age in which we can download just about anything we want to watch,
While there are hundreds of legitimate sites from which digital content can be downloade
So, if you must download the latest movie or song, think twice about where you are down
Is the site well-known? Have any of your friends used the site without incident or unexpec
5. David Harley, Senior Research Fellow of ES
After more than a quarter century in security, it still seems to me that many people still exp render all other products obsolete.
In fact, the promotion of the idea that single-layer/single-solution security is enough is not it’s more reliable. Rather, use 2-factor (or more) authentication.
Many social media sites now allow you to augment password authentication with at least that they do is install an (often free) anti-virus program. AV (free or for-fee) is much better than nothing.
As long as it’s a genuine security program rather than some kind of alluringly marketed m
suite), then at least look into the possibility of reinforcing your free anti-virus with other fre You are a security layer.
Having argued (convincingly, I hope) for multi-layering, on the grounds that where one ap
social engineering in a paragraph – and even grizzled security researchers can be fooled having to make sensible choices about what links and attachments you open.
.@Eset’s @DavidHarleyBlog: I’m going to mention text=.%40Eset%27s+%40DavidHarleyBlog%3A+I%E experts-roundup/)
6. Peter Kruse, Partner & Security Specialist o
Think twice and remain critical when opening attachments in e-mails or files dow Ask yourself if you trust the source and why you’d want to open it in the first place. Update your programs and applications. Patch your software whenever new security patches are released. Install an antivirus solution.
Make sure you download antivirus software from vendors that you trust and never run mo
.@peterkruse’s security tip: Patch your software wh text=.%40peterkruse%27s+security+tip%3A+Patch+
7. Marcin Kleczynski, CEO and Founder of Ma
Exploits are a growing infection vector for people and businesses at the moment, mak
Keep your day to day software, such as browsers, Java, Flash and PDF readers, up to
Layered security is important! Run dedicated anti-malware alongside your tradition
Great #infosec tips from @mkleczynski (CEO @Ma text=Great+%23infosec+tips+from+%40mkleczynsk experts-roundup/)
8. Liviu Arsene,
Senior E-Threat Analyst, Bitdefender (http://w Be Suspicious.
Online or email scams are no longer identifiable by poor grammar and spelling mistakes.
Main #infosec tip from @larsene (Analist at @Bitde text=Main+%23infosec+tip+from+%40larsene+%28
System Updates.
Make sure you have the latest version of all installed software. Although Java or PDF soft Run Security Software
An up to date security solution will keep your PC infection free, provided you follow a min
9. John E Dunn, Co-founder of Techworld (htt
Buy a low-cost Chromebook for everyday browsing and online banking. As clou
Start using a good online password manager (e.g. LastPass) to store and generate
Enable and setup 2-step verification on your primary Google account and do the sa
Interesting #infosec advice from @JohnEDunn (@te text=Interesting+%23infosec+advice+from+%40Joh
10. Simon Edwards, Technical Director of Den If you use public WiFi, use a VPN. Update your software as often as possible. Turn off Java in the browser.
Two of those tips are related to web-based exploit protection while the first is fairly obviou
1. VPN (http://www.spgedwards.com/2014/06/three-android-security-essentials.htm
2. Update (http://dennistechnologylabs.com/reports/s/a-m/microsoft/DTL_2014_Up
3. Java (http://www.spgedwards.com/2013/01/howto-secure-java-in-three-easy-step
If I was allowed a 4th tip I’d say, “Use two factor authentication whenever possible” an
Main Security Tip from @spgedwards (from @Denn text=Main+Security+Tip+from+%40spgedwards+%2
11. Daniel Cid, Founder & CTO of Sucuri (http That’s an easy one. I will share the tips that I “force” my family and friends to do online: Disable javascript on your browser. Enable “click to play” for flash on your browser. Use a password manager.
*The web still works (mostly) without javascript and you can easily re-enable it for sites th
.@sucuri_security’s @danielcid: Enable “click to pla text=.%40sucuri_security%27s+%40danielcid%3A+ roundup/)
12. Matthew Pascucci, Cyber Security Engine Here are a few things non-tech savvy people should be doing to stay safe online:
Patch all third party applications (I.E Java and Flash). These third party application
If you don’t know who sent you an email don’t click on the links or open the atta
Verify your privacy settings on mobile devices and social media. Make sure you’
Here are @MatthewPascucci’s security tips for non tech+savvy+people%3A&via=heimdalsecurity&relat
13. Morten Kjaersgaard, Heimdal Security (htt These are the 3 security tips that you can follow to stay safe online:
Keep your software up-to-date, your Windows operating system and the 3rd party s
Use very complex passwords and 2 step authentication. Don’t use your dog’s name
Consider yourself a target for hackers when using your computer and think about w
Morten Kjaersgaard’s, CEO @HeimdalSecurity, sec text=Morten+Kjaersgaard%27s%2C+CEO+%40Heim roundup/)
14. Xavier Mertens, Security Consultant and B Take care of your passwords
If possible enable 2FA (2-factors authentication – some you have/know/are) when the onl Keep your devices up-to-date
By devices, I mean your laptops/desktops but don’t forget that today, most electronic devi Trust nobody!
Internet is not a world of care bears! You received a gift, an invitation, found a USB stick o
Awesome #infosec advice from @xme: Trust nobod text=Awesome+%23infosec+advice+from+%40xme
15. Dave Piscitello (http://www.securityskeptic
Nothing is free. This is particularly true for apps or software. Free often means if you g
Third party data collectors are as great a threat to privacy as government surveillance
Learn who’s collecting your personal data, how they intend to use it, for how long, and
.@securityskeptic from @ICANN: Nothing is free. T text=.%40securityskeptic+from+%40ICANN%3A+N
16. Rahul Kashyap, Chief Security Architect a
Don’t trust anything on the internet (even legit sites could end up delivering malware). Always patch regularly, it definitely decreases chances of infection.
Any deal that is too good to be true, probably it isn’t. Be cautions every time you enco
.@rckashyap from @bromium: Any deal that is too text=.%40rckashyap+from+%40bromium%3A+Any+
17. Brian Donohue, Social Media Editor, Threa
Install software, application and operating system updates as early and as often as po Protect your accounts with strong, unique passwords.
Never disclose sensitive information or download an attachment from an unexpected
.@TheBrianDonohue from @Threatpost: Never disc text=.%40TheBrianDonohue+from+%40Threatpost%
18. Troy Hunt, Microsoft MVP for Developer S Password manager for everything!
Randomly generate them all (bar the ones you actually need to remember) and use a goo Use multi-step or 2 factor everywhere. It’s increasingly common on large services and is enormously effective. You can’t lose what you don’t have.
Think twice before creating anything digital you wouldn’t want exposed including malicio
Great #infosec advice from @troyhunt: You can’t lo text=Great+%23infosec+advice+from+%40troyhunt
19. Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure (https://www.f Back up. Now. Back up – not just your computer, but also your phone and your tablet.
Back up your systems so that you can actually restore them – even if your house burn
Straightforward #infosec advice from @mikko (@FS text=Straightforward+%23infosec+advice+from+%4 roundup/)
Conclusion
Hopefully, these tips shared by these top cyber security experts in this article will inspire y
This is the kind of advice experts share with their families and friends, and we hope
In a changing landscape like the IT industry, there isn’t only one problem and one solutio Can you name 3 security tips you follow constantly to stay safe online?
Enter your email address
*This article was initially written and published by Aurelian Neagu, in March 2015, and br
Comments MikeOh Shark ON AUGUST 13, 2017 AT 11:42 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-32987) In addition to these tips, I never go online while logged in as an administrator, never go online while a hard drive is mounted (I use Linux on a flash drive), and never run services that aren’t needed. Before I go online I shutdown smb, nmbd, avahi-daemon, and winbind with a script. Even though I am behind a NAT router, I run iptables with ipsets on each local computer. There are a hundred other things I do but I know most users won’t consider them. The easiest is to always be a limited rights user when going online. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=32987#respond)
Brian Dean (https://www.softquack.com) ON JULY 4, 2017 AT 8:09 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-28332) Thank you so much. I love reading others’ quotes. Love this roundup, too. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=28332#respond)
Steve Smith ON FEBRUARY 22, 2017 AT 10:06 AM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-14902) Found your blog. This is a very good blog on Cybercrime threat (http://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com). I would like to thank you for all the information you give. Its really important to choose the perfect Cybercrime threat tips to be save. So thanks for sharing all that important information. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=14902#respond)
Shifu (http://www.infinova.com/) ON JANUARY 6, 2017 AT 10:05 AM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-10783) Agree with Rahul Kashyap.. People are tend to believe anything which comes on internet. Thank you so much experts for all the tips. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=10783#respond)
arava ON DECEMBER 17, 2016 AT 3:14 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/securityexperts-roundup/#comment-8869) great tips, thanks. personally. im using the website koocam to secure my knowledge. i never expose all my knowledge at the social media. if some of my friends or youtube viewers want more i charge money for private chat and koocam is the best solution right now for it. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=8869#respond)
John Adam ON AUGUST 22, 2016 AT 4:57 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-2438) Great. Completely agree with Kelly Jackson. VPN is an awesome technology for online security and I am also using VPN for business security. https://www.purevpn.com/business-vpn.php (https://www.purevpn.com/businessvpn.php) Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=2438#respond)
adf ON OCTOBER 22, 2016 AT 9:06 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-expertsroundup/#comment-4019) VPN’s are not at ALL safe. They funnel ALL your data through them and if they are a team of scammers who say “We’re only $29 for a lifetime subscription and all your data is encrypted”, that could be slang for “We are reading all your data and stealing your information because we are thieves”. Rima (http://www.tripreviewsite.com/tag/travel-guide/) ON MAY 9, 2016 AT 6:51 AM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-1790) awesome tricks, these are really helpful, thanks for sharing expert article. For more on IT security, visit- http://itservicestalk.com/tag/IT-Security/ (http://itservicestalk.com/tag/IT-Security/) Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=1790#respond)
ShuBu Cyber (http://shubucyber.in/) ON APRIL 23, 2016 AT 3:29 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-1725) ohh waoo, amazing tricks.I totally like it.. I have also some thing new hope you all like it http://shubucyber.in/ (http://shubucyber.in/) Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=1725#respond)
Cable Locators (http://cablelocators.com/) ON MARCH 16, 2016 AT 12:51 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-1497) There are some attention-grabbing points in time in this article.I have bookmarked this post for faster access and learning. Electronic counter surveillance (http://cablelocators.com/) Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=1497#respond)
Jack Moore ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2015 AT 11:17 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-674) I really liked the reminder that the user is a layer of security. A lot of people just download a software and assume it will protect them from anything. But it’s important to pay attention, even despite the software. Always do your best to stay safe, and use the protection software as a backup. http://www.apisecurityinc.net/ (http://www.apisecurityinc.net/) Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=674#respond)
Debbie Stanley ON MARCH 24, 2015 AT 6:24 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-155) Do not forget about the need to ensure the safety of children on the Internet. I use a program Refog (http://www.refog.com (http://www.refog.com)) for remote monitoring actions of my children on the Internet. Using this program, I always know what they are doing on the Internet. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=155#respond)
Norbert Gostischa (http://bob3160.blogspot.com/) ON MARCH 12, 2015 AT 9:17 AM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/#comment-115) This is precisely the type of information I pass along almost daily through my free Computer Security Presentations. Implanting basic knowledge in the average computer user goes a long way toward keeping them safer on their computer and on the internet. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=115#respond)
Aurelian Neagu - Copywriter ON MARCH 16, 2015 AT 2:03 AM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-expertsroundup/#comment-118) Indeed, basic knowledge goes a long way for the average computer user. Thank you! Alycia ON MARCH 10, 2015 AT 8:54 PM (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/securityexperts-roundup/#comment-114) #11 – Daniel Cid: “… I *force* my friends and family to do these three things…” I think the idea of forcing basic security awareness on those closest to you is the best way to really help people understand that reducing risk doesn’t have to be a hassle. Reply (https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/security-experts-roundup/?replytocom=114#respond)
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