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THE 12 COMMANDMENTS OF DIGITAL SECURITY

Today we are witnessing a new kind of gold rush. The value is here, right under your screens. Any entity can find it through a contact form, a cookie or a paid questionnaire...

Your data is valuable and worth a lot. Some of the world's most powerful companies live almost exclusively on it! We have now entered the era of Big Data, of data as an essential resource, of the Data Queen.

While Internet users often agree to give up their data in order to gain access to certain services, this data can also be consciously or unconsciously taken away by hackers.

These often use fairly simple methods, which can therefore be countered with a little caution...

In this data war, how can we maintain sovereignty over our data? How can we protect ourselves from hackers who are hungry for this new digital treasure?

Here are 12 things you can do now to protect your personal data and stay in control of your digital life.

 

1st Commandment: Thou shalt generate complex passwords.

Create complex and abstract passwords. Don't use your child's birthday or your favourite film. This information is far too easy to find.

Don't save your passwords in the browser and don't write them down on a post-it note. No password is safer than in your mind.

 

2nd Commandment:  From trusted sites, thou shalt download.

Download your software from the publisher's website. Example: install Adobe from the official Adobe website, not elsewhere.

Get an anti-virus software to eliminate threats.

Equip yourself with a VPN to hide your IP address (Little tip: a VPN will also allow you, among other things, to watch certain sporting events or video content that is not accessible in France. Indeed, the principle of a VPN is to connect to servers in other countries. And it's perfectly legal!)

 

3rd Commandment: Thou shalt consider diversifying backups.

Regularly back up your emails and documents on an external cloud with a password so that you can retrieve them in case of an attack. After all, prevention is better than cure. Also save them on an external medium not connected to the computer system.

 

4th Commandment: Thou shalt beware of thy emails.

Be sure to check the sender of your e-mails, especially if the sender seems suspicious. Even if the sender's name is familiar, check the exact address. Some hackers may contact you by spoofing a familiar address (fishing).

If the email contains attachments or links, do not click on them until you are absolutely certain of the sender.

 

5th Commandment: Thou shalt pay attention to the quality of the Wi-Fi.

Internet and Wifi: Choose a cable or wifi connection with WPA 2 or WPA-AES protocol.

Avoid WEP, it is easily broken.

Do not use public Wifis (restaurants, train stations). It is easy for a hacker to harvest your data from insecure Wifis.

 

6th Commandment: Thou shalt separate the professional from the personal.

Do not forward work-related emails to your personal email service.

Do not host business data on personal equipment.

Avoid connecting USB sticks to professional equipment.

 

7th Commandment: When shopping online, thou shalt exercise the utmost caution.

For online purchases check that the site is secure:

Padlock in the address bar.

Mention httpS.

The URL does not contain any spelling mistakes.

If possible, go through a bank authentication phase or send an SMS during the purchase.

 

8th Commandment: Thou shalt protect thy profile.

Protect your personal profile for opening an online account.

Create an email address that is different from the main address and the business address.

Use pseudonyms (not your real name).

Do not give any unnecessary information.

 

9th Commandment: In the event of an attack, thou shalt adopt the correct reflexes.

If there is a cyber attack :

Disconnect from the Internet without switching off the terminal.

Report the attack to your IT department or service provider.

Never pay a ransom.

 

10th Commandment: Thou shalt deactivate the components.

Disable ActiveX and JavaScript components by default. These components provide interesting functionality, but they also present security risks that can lead to an intruder taking control of a vulnerable machine. Despite the inconvenience this may cause, it is advisable to disable their interpretation by default and choose to activate them only when necessary and if you feel you are on a trusted site.

 

11th Commandment: Thou shalt exercise the utmost caution with other media.

Be as careful on your smartphone or tablet as on your computer, as these media can also be the target of attacks.

 

12th Commandment: Thou shalt not click on any suspicious links.

Do not click on just any link. A known trick of hackers is to trick you into clicking on booby-trapped links. Some of these links are found in messages. Therefore, it is better to type the address of the site in the browser bar yourself.