Who knows better how to breach your computer security than hackers themselves? A hacker’s everyday job is to look for errors in security so they can hack your computer.

We are passionate about technology and experts in ensuring online security, so in order to write a comprehensive blog post on how you can best protect yourself and your sensitive information online, we spoke to two professional hackers and together with them we identified the following 5 most common mistakes we all make over and over again.

1. NEVER re-use the same username or email password

According to Cal, a professional ex-hacker, if you keep using the same username you are an easy target for hackers as they can easily find all the information they need online. Re-using your email password is even worse as once the hacker is in your mailbox, it will take him just minutes to access your bank accounts or other critical information.

We understand that memorising so many passwords can be a pain but don’t choose convenience over the security. You can still create strong passwords that are easy to remember.

If you have no clue how to do it, you can always refer to our step-by-step tutorial on how to create strong but easy to remember passwords here

2. NEVER trust public Wi-Fi

Don’t assume that all public Wi-Fi is secure as you never know if the free Wi-Fi you’re using is real or it’s aimed at stealing your data. Finding out whether the Wi-Fi is fake or not can be really tricky especially on your mobile phone. If you have to use public Wi-Fi use your laptop to go online as the browser will alert you of security breaches whereas a mobile phone won’t.

3. NEVER click on suspicious videos or posts on Facebook

There are hundreds of viruses and other malware spread across Facebook every day. These are often hidden in links to funny videos or posts. The only way to prevent yourself from getting infected is to think twice before you click on something. If it’s a video or a post on your friend’s wall, always ask yourself whether your friend would share such information.

4. NEVER be without Antivirus Software

“I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t run AV software. It’s not a Holy Grail, but it helps you to deal with most common problems. Browsing without it is like driving without a seat belt. It’s your first layer of defence, whether you’re using PC, Mac or Android. “ Tom, ex-hacker.

We agree with Tom! As an IT company, we have come across the majority of Antivirus programs available on the market. Across every Antivirus program, the one that exceeded our expectations is NOD32 from ESET. You can read here to find out why we trust it and why it is the Antivirus software we choose to protect our own PCs at ITC.

5. NEVER forget to update everything

Having the latest Windows updates, drivers or browser plug-in updates installed is important as hackers will look for every security hole and take every opportunity to get into your systems.

If you don’t know how to keep your Windows up-to-date you can always check our step-by-step tutorial here We would be delighted to receive any feedback on our first blog post as well as any question you have about protecting your sensitive information and helping guarantee your online safety:

• Call us: 023 8024 9820

• Email us: info@itcweb.co.uk

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