9 mistakes that put your computer at risk of hacking
<p>Forget the days of safes, bank lockers and filing cabinets – today, most of us rely on hard drives and motherboards to keep our important personal data safe. That’s why it’s essential to take every possible measure to prevent your information being corrupted by hackers. Here are nine mistakes you may be making that could put your computer at risk of corruption.</p>
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<li><strong>Using the same password for everything</strong> – yes, it’s the easiest way to keep track of all your online accounts, but if a hacker cracks the code for one site, they can easily crack the rest. If you have difficulty remembering your passwords, try a free program like <a href="https://lastpass.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">LastPass</span></strong></a> or <a href="https://1password.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">1Password</span></strong></a>, which store your passwords and let you unlock accounts with one master password.</li>
<li><strong>Using an easy-to-guess password</strong> – forget using your name and birthday. Even your pet’s name may be too easy. Experts recommend using a mixture of numbers, upper and lower case letters and punctuation. They’re much more difficult to crack, and if you use one of the programs above, they shouldn’t cause too much of a hassle to your memory.</li>
<li><strong>Not blocking your webcam</strong> – sadly, even our humble webcams aren’t safe from hackers. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg covers his laptop camera and microphone with tape to stop hackers secretly recording your activity.</li>
<li><strong>Giving your information too easily</strong> – if you click “allow” when asked for access to the camera and microphone on your computer or tablet, you may be giving the hackers exactly what they want. If the app has no need for such access, simply deny it.</li>
<li><strong>Delaying updates</strong> – software companies don’t issue updates just to annoy you – they contain essential security updates. So bite the bullet and update right away.</li>
<li><strong>Using public Wi-Fi</strong> – we’ve <a href="/news/news/2016/09/think-twice-before-using-public-wifi-networks/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">covered this before</span></strong></a>, but using unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots in public can leave your information open to anyone else on that network. Stick to hotspots labelled “WPA” or “WPA2”, or opt for mobile data instead.</li>
<li><strong>Keeping your home Wi-Fi network public</strong> – just like above, if your home network isn’t secured with a strong password, you’re only making the hackers’ job easier.</li>
<li><strong>Making an account with every online retailer</strong> – while it’s fine to leave your details with reputable online stores that you frequently use (or with PayPal), sharing your credit card information with too many websites could spell disaster – especially if you don’t know much about the retailer’s reputation.</li>
<li><strong>Opening every email</strong> – if you recognise the sender, go for it. If there’s something that comes through from an unknown contact, it may be malicious spam. Your best bet is to avoid clicking on any links in emails from senders you don’t know (or even senders you do know, but that send suspicious emails) – even “unsubscribe” links can put you at risk.</li>
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<p>How do you keep your personal data safe? Share your tips with us in the comments below.</p>
<p><strong>Related links:</strong></p>
<p><a href="/news/news/2016/09/think-twice-before-using-public-wifi-networks/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Think twice before using public wifi networks</strong></em></span></a></p>
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