After surviving a winter truly like no other, it's time for a fresh start as the days start to get longer and brighter.
Making a new start doesn't need to just be limited to freshening up your home or wardrobe, however - you can also give your security set-up a welcome new start as part of the coming of spring.
With many of us now working from home, there's still a need to be on top of your game when it comes to staying protected from the latest online threats - so here's some nuggets of wisdom to help you get a fresh security outlook this spring.
Get a new way of connecting with a VPN
A change of scene is always a good way of getting a new perspective on what's important - but with holidays and overseas travel still not looking likely for the foreseeable future, you might have to turn to your devices for such escapism.
A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allows you to disguise your internet connection to make it seem to appear from a different country or region, meaning no one, not even your ISP, should be able to track your internet surfing or snoop on your location.
Although you may have used a VPN for accessing a workplace internet connection over the past year, VPNs can also allow you to enjoy entertainment and sports streaming services from different markets. Bitdefender Total Security 2021 includes a Secure VPN service that offers complete online privacy - and with a 200MB/day free allowance, you can carry out tasks such as online banking and other sensitive tasks safely.
Spruce up those passwords
Cleaning and tidying your home is always a good idea, but freshening up your security protection can also be a great way to clear your mind of extra worry.
Hopefully we all know the importance of having unique passwords for all of your accounts by now, as all it takes is for one of these to be compromised for hackers to gain knowledge of your logins to everything else. Using a different strong password for each account is highly recommended, and employing a mix of letters, numbers and special characters is more likely to help keep you safe by ensuring your password can't be easily guessed.
We know that remembering all of this may sound like a big challenge, but Bitdefender Total Security 2021 features an in-built Password Manager service to help you keep track of all your login details, keeping all the information safe from hackers and meaning one less thing to worry about.
Spring clean out your inbox
If you are currently rooting through your cupboards and wardrobes in a bid to have a proper clearout, maybe it's time to do the same with your inbox too?
Many of us often let our email accounts run wild, and working from home, with the myriad of distractions this brings, can often be a major hindrance. Spring cleaning your inbox could finally be the key to achieving the elusive "inbox zero" (if only for a short while), but could also be vital to ensuring your security protection stays intact this year.
Bitdefender Total Security 2021 includes a thorough anti-spam and anti-phishing tools to keep you safe from email-based threats, spotting new dangers as they land thanks to a frequently-updated threat library.
Keep everything protected
Although many of us now own and use multiple smart devices on a daily basis, juggling the different security needs of all these products can be a challenge.
Mobile and tablet devices sometimes get forgotten in the push to secure laptops and PCs, especially with the recent shift towards remote working, but deserve equal attention when it comes to staying secure. Especially as if you connect all your devices to a single home network, all it takes is for one device to fall victim to a scam or virus for the entire network to be compromised.
Bitdefender Total Security 2021 doesn't just cover PCs, but also safeguards mobile devices, running on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, including several generations of each software. What's more, it can be used to cover up to 15 devices per household, keeping you and your family safe online, whatever devices you use.
