5 Best and WORST Cybersecurity Tips

Best

Keep current with updates.
When updates are released to the public, bad actors will reverse-engineer the changes and make “Hackz” based on those flaws. Many have methods to include these in an automated process.

Backup
Eventually you may get owned and being able to recover is Best case scenario

Don’t use the ISP supplied Firewall/Router
These devices are the cheapest the ISP can find. Many large problems are based on the ISP having insecure defaults on these devices and users rarely updating something that is currently working. Older devices have old & insecure protocols enabled like uPnP.

Use a Password Manager
Bitwarden is free. Choose a master password that is a sentence from your favorite book. This lets you have unique passwords at every website and keep them organized.

Learn Multi factor Authentication
Google Authenticator is free, and easy to use. You will be able to figure it out by watching a 5 minute video. This is info that will by useful for many years. Put MFA on your email first, as Email is used to reset your password for every other website.

Worst

Install a good Virus Scanner.
Windows Defender, which comes with Windows 10/11 is a fine AV, make sure it’s updated. That’s money better spent elsewhere.

Enable full disk encryption.
Disk encryption is only useful if someone physically steals your hard drive and connects it to their PC to read the data. I have had ZERO desktops physically stolen. Requires a safe place to store the decryption key. This is a valid suggestion for laptops.

Don’t write down passwords;
the only people that can see your post-it notes are physically close to your PC. that is going to be a relatively few people. If you write your password somewhere online or choose a weak password you are opening yourself up to the MAJORITY of internet, which is a lot. Put that password post-it in your wallet.

Change your password regularly;
this recommendation has been updated by WASP, after much negative feedback by security professionals. Changing passwords confuses users. the % that password guessing is correct, doesn’t decrease based on a moving target.

There’s an App for that;
Don’t install phone Apps all willy-nilly. Google and Apple have so many new apps being published they can’t screen them thoroughly. Look at number of installs and watch for fake reviews.

Bonus:
Don’t Click Links In Email!