How to protect yourself against computer crimes: six essential tips

Nowadays, a good part of our lives and activities takes place in digital applications , web platforms , computer equipment and smartphones . Along with this, the forms of crime and delinquency have also ventured into the cyber field, achieving such a level of success that the term hacker is known to almost everyone, regardless of the concept that is made of it.

Since very few countries have relevant laws and effective mechanisms to combat cybercrime , it is crucial that each person protects himself by taking preventive measures so as not to fall into the hands of people who seek to profit from cheating and human error. Here we leave you several essential recommendations that you should apply immediately if you have not done so.

Six essential cybersecurity tips

1. About your passwords . Change them periodically, try your best not to use the same ones in the different online accounts you have and make them complex using uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special digits (!#$%&/@).

2. Do not save your credit or debit card data in browsers or in the accounts you have on shopping platforms. If anyone manages to access those accounts or browsers, they will have access to the data.

3. Manually turn your device 's camera and microphone on and off. Also, review and adjust the permissions that different programs and applications have to access said hardware . If you do not recognize the program or application , or it is not fully trusted , do not allow it to access your camera and microphone .

4. Check the structure of any links you receive or find before clicking on them, so you can recognize suspicious irregularities such as a domain inconsistent with the alleged source (eg .com domain for government information). Avoid accessing shortened links if the source is not trustworthy .

5. Do not give credence to notifications by email , text message or phone call that give you alarmist information such as a credit/debit card blockage , loss of money , loyalty reward or donation of funds . Do not trust completely if, in order to solve the situation or acquire the benefit, they ask you to provide confidential data or make payments . Always confirm with legitimate sources by protected means .

6. When you identify irregular activity in your online or bank accounts and even the risk of this happening, immediately notify the corresponding entity and request from it the necessary suspensions and blocks, as well as the activation of the protocols they have for these situations.

Despite being highly recommended, none of these measures guarantees 100% protection against cybercrime . Hackers are continually perfecting their techniques . Therefore, identify in advance who you can turn to in your community or area if you are a victim of these crimes or are at risk of becoming one, always having this information at your fingertips. Have additional backup plans for the different calamities that you may suffer and always follow the recommendations that banks and digital platforms give you regarding cybersecurity .