Emsisoft Blog, January 19, 2021, by Jareth<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n (Darcy & I would like to thank the Emsisoft team for allowing us to share this article with you. )<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This is Part 1 of our \u201cFresh Start\u201d series, a collection of straightforward guides to help you rebuild your personal cybersecurity from the ground up.<\/span><\/p>\n As we move into 2021, now is the perfect time to start thinking about setting the groundwork for a more cyber secure year.<\/span><\/p>\n In terms of cybersecurity, this might mean ditching convenient (but risky) login processes, being a bit more cautious with your clicks, and finally applying those updates that have been left on the back burner for a week or three.<\/span><\/p>\n Ready to take control of your cybersecurity? In this blog post, we\u2019ll show you exactly what you need to do to protect your devices from malware in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Think before you click<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Phishing preys on human tendencies and uses social engineering techniques to coax you into clicking things you shouldn\u2019t. It\u2019s responsible for 31 percent of cybersecurity incidents and is likely to be a prevalent threat in the months ahead as attackers seek to take advantage of the global shift to remote working.<\/span><\/p>\n Make 2021 a phish-free year by thinking twice before clicking. Here a few key tips to avoid falling for a phishing scam:<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Apply updates<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Many types of malware work by taking advantage of security flaws in your applications or operating system. To fix these known security vulnerabilities and protect their users, software developers regularly release updates that should be applied as soon as they\u2019re available.<\/span><\/p>\n While it may be tempting to ignore those nagging pop-up windows, keeping your software up to date is crucial for maintaining device security and reducing the risk of malware infection.<\/span><\/p>\n 3. Install a good antivirus\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n There are a few good options on the market for antivirus and anti-malware software, so take the time to think about your requirements, read some reviews and install a few different trial versions (not at the same time!) to get a feel for each product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 4. Secure your router<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Responsible for providing all of your devices with Internet connectivity, your router is perhaps the most important gadget in your home. Keep it secure with the following tips:<\/span><\/p>\n Update firmware:<\/strong> Router manufacturers release firmware (the low-level software your router runs on) updates to fix bugs, introduce new features, and improve router security. While some modern routers can automatically update their firmware, we suggest periodically checking for updates via the router control panel and installing any available patches.<\/span><\/p>\n Change default login details:<\/strong> <\/span>Most routers are shipped with the same default username (\u201cadmin\u201d) and password (\u201cpassword\u201d). As you might have guessed, these credentials aren\u2019t particularly hard to crack. Change the default login details to something more secure.<\/span><\/p>\n Change the Wi-Fi password:<\/strong> Make a fresh start in 2021 by changing your Wi-Fi password. You\u2019ll need to reconnect all of your devices, but it also means that anyone who shouldn\u2019t be lurking on the network will be kicked off. Always use WPA2 (or better) encryption for wireless security.<\/span><\/p>\n Disable WPS: <\/span><\/strong>Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) allows devices to connect to the network by pushing a button (which enables anyone with physical access to the router to connect to the network) or entering a PIN (which is more prone to brute force than an alphanumeric password). Unless you need WPS for a particular reason, we recommend disabling it.<\/span><\/p>\n Disable remote access:<\/strong> <\/span>Many modern routers come with remote access that allows you to manage your router while you\u2019re away from home. To reduce the risk of compromise, remote access should be disabled unless you specifically require it.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Steer clear of pirated software<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Pirated software poses a significant security risk (not to mention the serious ethical implications, which we won\u2019t get into here). While statistics are scarce, it\u2019s not uncommon for pirated software to be infected with malware such as password-stealing trojans, ransomware, and cryptojackers.<\/span><\/p>\n In 2021, it\u2019s time to retire the Jolly Roger and embrace your new life as a regular old landlubber. Wipe the slate clean by reformatting your device and only installing legitimate applications. There are many free, open-source business applications and productivity tools that provide similar functionality to paid alternatives, while gamers can legally enjoy a plethora of top-notch games without paying a cent as developers increasingly embrace free-to-play models.<\/span><\/p>\n 6. Remove apps you don\u2019t need<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Over the years, you\u2019ve probably amassed a bunch of applications on your PC and mobile devices that you never use. It\u2019s time to get rid of them. Unpatched and misconfigured software are common entry points for malware, so removing unnecessary apps can reduce the risk of infection while freeing up storage space.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve uninstalled the unnecessary apps, keep your storage devices uncluttered by only installing software that you actually need. Read dialog boxes carefully during installation to ensure you don\u2019t inadvertently install potentially unwanted programs and be cautious when installing free software \u2013 remember, if you\u2019re not paying for it, you\u2019re probably the product.<\/span><\/p>\n 7. Enable 2FA everywhere you can<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Leave single-factor authentication in the past and start enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) everywhere you can.<\/span><\/p>\n 2FA is a simple and effective way of adding an extra layer of security to your accounts. With 2FA, you\u2019re required to provide both a password and a secondary form of identification (typically a verification code, PIN, hardware token, or biometric pattern) to access your account.<\/span><\/p>\n Even if attackers are able to install keylogging malware on your device and obtain your login credentials, they won\u2019t be able to access your 2FA-protected account without the second form of authentication.<\/span><\/p>\n 8. Lockdown your smart devices<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Internet connectivity is finding its way into more and more of our home devices. While smart devices might be ushering in a new era of convenience and efficiency, each Internet-connected device also provides a possible point of entry for malware attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n Below are a few tips to keep your smart devices secure:<\/span><\/p>\n 9. Use cloud-based antivirus management<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n U.S. households are now home to an average of 11 Internet-connected devices, according to figures from Deloitte. Taking control of the security of each individual device is a logistical nightmare, so your best bet is to look for a cloud-based solution that allows you to manage all the endpoints in your home from a single portal.<\/span><\/p>\n The Emsisoft Cloud Console, for example, comes free with all Emsisoft protection software and enables you to manage all of your devices remotely from a single pane of glass. Efficient, powerful, and easy to use, it\u2019s the best way to protect all of your family\u2019s devices from malware in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n With remote working and distance learning here to stay for the foreseeable future, it has never been more important to maintain a high level of cybersecurity. Applying the practices described in this article can go a long way toward securing your home network and keeping your devices free of malware in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n Cloudeight recommends Emsisoft<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n We thank the Emsisoft team once again for allowing us to share this article with you. <\/span><\/p>\n If you haven’t tried Emsisoft, you can get a free trial here<\/span>.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fresh start: How to prevent malware infections in 2021 Emsisoft Blog, January 19, 2021, by Jareth (Darcy & I would like to thank the Emsisoft team for allowing us to share this article with you. ) This is Part 1 of our \u201cFresh Start\u201d series, a collection of straightforward guides to help you rebuild your\u2026 Read More »<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14573,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1655,3389,3590,1670,1680,1656],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20705"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20705"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20708,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20705\/revisions\/20708"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14573"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thundercloud.net\/infoave\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Thanks](\"https:\/\/thundercloud.net\/infoave\/images\/2021\/mzblog.png\")
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