After months of cold and darkness, winter is finally over, and what better way to blow out those winter cobwebs with a bit of traditional spring cleaning.
But as well as clearing out your cupboards and bookshelves, it’s also a good idea to think about new ways to protect those connected devices you hold dear.
With new threats emerging all too often, now is the perfect time to think about giving your device security a much-needed boost with a major spring clean. If you’re not sure where to start, don’t fret - here’s some of our top tips to ensure you’re on top of all your security concerns.
Spring clean those passwords
First things first - spring cleaning is always a good time for a change, out with the old, and in with the new. This year, apply that well-known adage to your passwords, ensuring that hackers aren’t able to gain access to any of your online accounts or personal devices.
Using a different password for each account is highly recommended, with a strong mix of letters, numbers and special characters more likely to help keep you safe. Remember, if you do re-use passwords across multiple accounts, all it takes is for one of these to be compromised for hackers to gain knowledge of your logins to everything else. Bitdefender Total Security 2020 features an in-built Password Manager service to let you keep track of all your login details, and keep all the information safe from hackers.
Dust out your inbox
Most of us are guilty of letting our inboxes overflow with messages, unfiltered and left to stagnate in the ongoing quest for “inbox zero”. But spring cleaning your inbox could also be vital to ensuring your security protection stays intact this year.
Setting up enforceable rules to divert risky emails into your spam or junk folder greatly decreases the chance of falling victim to an attack, and Bitdefender Total Security 2020 includes a thorough anti-spam system to keep you safe.
Watch your phish
As well as clearing out your inbox, paying proper attention to your emails could be another significant tool. Be sure to never click on attachments in emails where you don’t know the sender, as hackers often use “spray and pray” attacks to disseminate malware to as many potential victims as possible. And keep an eye out for obvious mistakes - criminals often try and spoof legitimate companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Apple to trick victims, but sometimes make clear errors that should allow you to spot a potential attack.
Bitdefender Total Security 2020 comes with anti-phishing protection as standard, keeping all your devices safe from the latest threats, springing into action to flag if anything untoward is detected.
Make sure all your devices are protected
It used to be that all security worries were centred around the humble PC, with nasty viruses and worms attacking only that one device. But with the growth of smart products, you need to be sure that other devices are kept safe as well.
Smartphones and tablets often pack in as much (if not more) computing power than a desktop PC, but often they go unprotected against security threats, opening them up to attacks. Bitdefender Total Security 2020 offers multi-device protection, with up to five devices able to be secured, whether Windows, Mac, iOS or Android.
Spruce up with a VPN
It’s no secret that we share and store a lot of our lives online today, whether that’s via social media, online shopping, banking or one of a host of other services. But this all means that private and personal information is being stored online - data that you want to keep protected.
One of the best ways to keep your data and your browsing habits secure is by using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. This handy tool disguises your actual location, making it appear like your connection is originating from another country or region, meaning anyone trying to snoop on your browsing is immediately thrown off the scent.
Bitdefender Total Security 2020 includes 200 megabytes of VPN traffic per day, and Bitdefender Premium VPN includes unlimited traffic and the possibility to choose which country to use as exit node, allowing you to visit whatever sites you wish online without fear of anything being detected.
Embrace clean Wi-Fi
As much as we all love being connected and sharing our lives online, you still need to consider security when you’re out and about.
Public Wi-Fi networks have unfortunately become a popular target for criminals in recent years, who often hack into unprotected systems to spread malware. Be sure to take care when accessing networks that don’t require a password to connect, and always ensure you quickly log off if something doesn’t look right. Bitdefender Total Security 2020 offers full protection against threats presented by possibly insecure Wi-Fi networks, making sure you stay safe wherever you connect.
So if you’re looking for an all-round great way to secure all your devices, then Bitdefender is the one for you. Don’t just take our word for it, either - Bitdefender has been awarded “Product Of the Year” by independent testing firm AV-Comparatives, which carries out thorough testing to make sure software lives up to its promises.
