The explosion of the World Wide Web in the 1990s opened up new opportunities. But with this growth also came new dangers. Hacking took center stage. Breaking into personal info has never been easier than today. We live in a world where everything we do online leaves a digital footprint. Whether you realize it or not, all your data is up for grabs 24/7. Your passwords, your photos, your bank details – anything might get leaked at any moment. So the question is, how do you stay one step ahead of the hackers? Use the same techniques that they use (but for good)! In this blog, we will tell you the most effective ethical hacking tips to save your data.
Alert from Phishing Scams
Phishing attacks are everywhere you see today. These are sneaky and often disguised as emails from people or brands you trust. One wrong click and you could be handing over your personal data to a hacker.
You can guard yourself from phishing scams by using these simple but impactful ethical hacking techniques:
- Double-check the source: verify the sender before clicking links, especially before downloading any attachments. Legal companies will never ask about your sensitive information.
- Look out for red flags: poor grammar is by far the biggest indicator of this! You will also find these scam emails have very generic greetings and urgent language. Your instincts will tell you if something is off, don’t shrug it off.
- Check twice before clicking any link: If your gut says that URL looks fishy, trust your gut!
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): This will add an extra layer of security. So you won’t lose all your data even if your login details are compromised.
- Keep software updated: you cannot ignore this step! Regularly update all your apps and security tools (like antivirus) to block phishing attempts. Companies release this update to protect your data and these are non-negotiables.
If you want to learn more about protecting your data, ethical hacking certification courses could be your best starting point. Alternatively, if you are already in this field, such a course will open up many job opportunities and projects for you.
Keep Everything Updated
Make it a habit to update each software that you use (even if it is a rarely-used app!) Even if you use that period app just once a month, make sure if it is on your phone, it is up-to-date. Sounds simple, yet, it is the most common reason for data breaches. This is one of the best ethical hacking practices ever. Over 60% of data breaches in 2023 were due to backdated software.
Software vulnerabilities are a hacker’s best friend. Software companies release patches for a reason. When companies release updates, they’re often patching up holes that could otherwise be exploited. By delaying updates, you are simply leaving your system open to attacks.
Rather than hitting “Later” or ignoring it because you are in the middle of something, the next time you see that notification, take a minute or two to click “Update.” It is a small step that makes a big difference.
Strong Passwords
Your password will be the most important thing to protect you online. We all have heard time again “Only use strong passwords”, but how many of us actually do it? We are so lazy to track different passwords that we use the exact same one on every website. Or worse, we even use the simplest ones like “password123” for ease of remembering. If you are also guilty of doing this, it is high time you change your passwords. Here are our top ethical hacking tips:
- Try and avoid too common passwords like – password123 or qwerty”
- Instead, try to use passphrases which are longer strings of words, easier for you to remember but hard for others to crack. Passphrases can be something like “Sunsets@Beach2024”.
- Additionally, do not forget Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) whichever app gives that option.
Secure Your Network
Securing your network is the next most important step. Why? If your network is not secure, even the strongest passwords cannot protect you.
So how do you secure your network like a pro? Use the following ethical hacking best practices by our industry leaders to secure your network. While these are just the tip of the iceberg, you will need to learn in-depth to ward off advanced attacks. A beginner’s course on ethical hacking or cybersecurity is the best way to go about it.
- First thing, your network should have a properly configured firewall. Such a barrier is your first step to block unauthorized access from the outside world.
- Whenever you are using public wi-fi, your data is at its vulnerable best to being stolen by anyone who is connected to the same network. The best ethical hacking technique to follow in such situations is to use a VPN. It is used by hackers to encrypt their internet to make it difficult to access.
- For this same reason, it is also said to not access sensitive data (especially financial ones) on public networks.
- Lastly, if you can, try using an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to get alerted about any suspicious activity. This will help you be proactive to secure the systems before the attacker is successful.
Conclusion
Hackers are constantly on the lookout. There has been no one who can say they have not faced a phishing attempt. From phishing scams to attacks on outdated software, the threats are only increasing in number every day. But by using the same techniques that hackers use, you can fight back. While we have already discussed the most common ethical hacking practices to protect data on a personal level, cybersecurity is a huge world. There are a ton of things that you will need to learn if you want to protect your data using the best industry practices. You can learn these techniques by taking up a beginner cybersecurity course or certification. EducationNest is one such leading platform that offers cybersecurity certification courses by industry leaders without breaking the bank.
