Just as personal hygiene is critical for health, cyber hygiene is essential for digital safety. Implementing these three foundational habits can prevent the vast majority of common attacks.
1. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
The problem: Many users reuse the same password across multiple sites. If one site is breached, attackers can access all your other accounts.
The solution: Use a Password Manager to generate and store complex, unique passwords for every service. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols.
2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
The problem: Passwords can be stolen, guessed, or phished. Relying on a password alone is a single point of failure.
The solution: Turn on 2FA or MFA wherever available. This requires a second form of verification (like a code from an app or a hardware key) in addition to your password.
3. Keep Software Updated
The problem: Software often contains bugs that hackers can exploit to take control of your device.
The solution: Enable automatic updates for your operating system, web browser, and critical applications. These updates often contain security patches that close known vulnerabilities.