Cyber Threat level high: Pay Attention says IBM!
A recent infographic released by IBM indicates that 96% of cyber-attacks could have been prevented in seconds by taking some basic precautionary steps and complying with secure computing practices.
It also warned that 33% of cyber attacks involved phishing, malware or viruses occur in the amount of time it takes to make a cup of coffee.
They are also becoming sophisticated, with a 19% increase in the number of attacks in 2011 versus the same period in 2010.
So, what can you do to protect your identity, computer and website?
Verify links yourself. Don’t open attachments or links unless you know for sure they are safe.
Keep settings and software up to date. This includes software on your laptop and plug-ins or modules related to WordPress and Joomla on professional hosting platforms for your website.
Connect to networks safely. Be careful what you transmit over public open wireless networks. Consider using a VPN tunnel to lock down your communications.
Store information safely. You can either store information locally on your laptop or in the cloud via VPS services or free online products such as Dropbox or Zoho CRM.
Backup and encrypt data. To avoid unauthorized access make sure all data online and offline is encrypted. Ask your web-hosting provider about nightly backup services they may over or additional Continuous Backup Protection (CDP) options.
Protect mobile devices: Be sure to keep your Bluetooth set as ‘undiscoverable’.
Protect passwords: Create different, hard to guess passwords for each website and service you use. This includes shared hosting websites, dedicated server websites and VPS cloud websites.
According to IBM, 80% of cyber attacks can be prevented with better digital hygiene including performing quick tasks such as changing passwords and updating computer software on a regular basis.
Also read your web hosting provider’s privacy policy that indicates what steps they take to protect your identity, data and online information. A good hosting provider will offer transparent, powerful methods to protect you and your website on a daily basis.