Without a doubt, digital security should occupy a central place in the daily management of any company, organization, or even any individual user.
In a few words, we can say that digital security is the area or discipline in charge of protecting the IT infrastructure of an organization, as well as the information it contains, against possible malicious attacks or other similar types of risks.
Of course, today, no one is unaware of the vital importance that digital security has in the business world. And it is that the possible costs that an external cyberattack can cause, or even failures caused by internal negligence, are disproportionate.
Think, for example, of the loss or destruction of sensitive information, digital espionage, remote blocking of computer equipment, etc. All this can, lead to serious delays, high economic costs, and, in many cases, significant reputational damage to the company.
Basics for your digital privacy
Applications are those programs that allow us to personalize our devices. Thanks to them, we can adapt our Smartphones, tablets, or laptops for our tasks or work characters, such as exercising or communicating, among endless other functionalities.
However, one point that many users overlook is how to use them to take care of their digital security and privacy.
In a scenario where it is increasingly common to hear of a new cyberattack, whether it is to end consumers such as governments or large companies, people must also start taking care of themselves with applications.
From a VPN, an antivirus, and secure browsers for banking or online commerce, to tools that allow us to be aware of the location and be in contact with children. For this reason, it is necessary to take the necessary precautions.
Essential applications to take care of digital privacy
1. Antivirus
There are a large number of quality antivirus applications on the market, however, most users opt for the free ones. It should be remembered that nothing on the Internet is free, and if there is no cost, it is because the user pays with their data.
Basic functionalities include monitoring and analysis of malicious codes, filters and white lists for receiving messages and calls, “anti-theft” (a function that allows remote location, wiping, and blocking of the device), secure browsers (designed to carry out online banking or online mail), anti-phishing SMS scanning and recurring updates.
As with antiviruses, most free applications on the Internet are used to collect information from users. For this reason, it is vital to be aware that there is nothing free on the Internet, if the cost is not monetary, the person pays with their data.
2. VPN
VPN is “a network technology used to connect one or more computers to a private network using the Internet.
Companies often use a VPN so that their employees from their homes, hotels, etc., can access corporate resources that they would not otherwise be able to.
However, connecting an employee’s computer to corporate resources is only one function of a VPN. In conjunction with the above, a correct implementation of this technology allows ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of the information”.
On the other hand, many people use them to change the IP of their devices to access content that is blocked in their countries.
For example, changing the IP of the laptop with a VPN to a US address to view online content that is not available in the country.
3. Password Manager
To ensure that employees are using strong passwords, users should consider Business Password Management technologies.
A password administrator or manager is an application designed to store access credentials in an encrypted vault.
It also has the functionality of generating complex passwords, making it extremely easy to create and save a unique and strong password for each of the accounts we use.
In this sense, if you choose to use a password manager, all you need to remember is a single “master” password.
Most of the popular password managers work as cloud applications that can be accessed through a browser.
No matter which password manager you choose, you’ll need to create a strong master password that will protect all the stored credentials used to access the different services you use.
Therefore, you should be very careful when choosing your master password. For a cloud-based manager, this is part of creating an account.
Make sure you choose your password manager carefully and when creating your master password, avoid making any of the most common mistakes we mentioned at the beginning of this post.
For added security, you can also enable two-factor authentication for all online accounts that have this option, or even for the password manager itself.
On the other hand, it should be kept in mind that cybercriminals and hackers also use applications to compromise devices.
For this reason, it is necessary to download them only from official stores, while analyzing whether the permissions required by the app are consistent with its functionality.
For example, if it is an application to edit photos, it would not need to know the GPS location, access the address book, or have access to calls and messages.
Final thoughts
Although most of us have similar needs when it comes to managing our digital lives, there may be minor differences in our preferences. Therefore, you should be aware of which option best suits your needs.
In conclusion, always think about how you should act to protect yourself. If you don’t share certain things in the offline world, why do it online? The first line of defense for your privacy is you.
