Cybersecurity encompasses multiple defenses. It’s not just an antivirus, it’s not just a VPN, it’s not just a password manager, internet security, and anti-track software. It’s all these things and more, working together to ensure every vulnerability is protected, whether the threats are coming from a phishing email, a malicious website, a botnet, public Wi-Fi, or other avenue. Cybercriminals are trying every angle to crack into our data, and they won’t rest until they do.
Click to view a larger version of the infographic here.
We need to defend our digital lives comprehensively. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself online:
- Get Antivirus Protection: Every month, our network protects hundreds of millions of users from 2 billion malware attacks. Avast Premier is our top-of-the-line antivirus that stops emerging threats, ransomware, spyware, and then some.
- Use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection: A VPN protects your privacy online by masking your IP address and providing an encrypted connection between you and the internet. Access streaming shows when you travel, safely use a public Wi-Fi, and remain anonymous online.
- Use a fast, secure, and private browser: Get state-of-the-art protection for all your online activities—plus ad-blocking, anti-tracking, and anti-fingerprinting. This makes it impossible for others to create an online profile of you. Avast Secure Browser includes all this and it’s up to 4x faster than your standard browser.
- Make your passwords unique and strong: Ever-changing, complex passwords are key to data protection. Use a password manager to securely sync your passwords across all your computers, smartphones, and tablet
devices. Avast Passwords Premium is a great option for
managing your passwords and it also has the added benefit of detecting when sites have been compromised and prompts you to change your password.
- While you’re at it, speed up and clean up your PC: Along with all this protection, apply a full optimization suite like Avast Cleanup Premium which includes over 10 features to improve your PC’s reliability and speed. Our patented technologies provide next-gen tuning and cleaning which frees up disk space, removes bloatware, fixes problems, and increases speed.
1. Do this to make sure you’re on the right booking website, and not an evil twin
Every year, millions are lost — and countless vacations ruined — by fake booking sites crafted to look just like the real ones. Imagine handing your payment over an airline or hotel, and showing up the day of the trip to find out they’ve never heard of you.
According to statistics database Statista, 2017 saw an estimated 1.66 billion shoppers purchase goods online, grossing an incredible 2.3 trillion US dollars. This means online shopping is certainly here to stay. Moreover, it’s projected to grow more popular and more prevalent as time goes on. With that in mind, let’s do a deep dive into the evolution of online shopping, discussing the best practices we should all adopt and why.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, routes all of your internet activity through a secure, encrypted connection, which prevents others from seeing what you’re doing online and from where you’re doing it. Basically a VPN provides an extra layer of security and privacy for all of your online activities. Want to learn more about VPNs in general? Check out our Essential Guide.
She has spent the better part of her life protecting you by providing a safe path through the world. Now it’s your turn to do the same for her. The World Wide Web has become an intimidating place, especially for older generations who are taken aback by the breakneck pace at which technology — both benevolent and malicious — is evolving.
Even though it reminds us annually, World Password Day still has not convinced the majority of online users to get with the times and strengthen their passwords. Now I’m not casting stones here — I’ve always been one of millions myself, saying I’d get around to upgrading my security … some day. But in 2017, a breach compromised 1.4 million usernames, emails, and passwords, making them viewable on the dark web. While that collection did contain duplicates, it still represented a staggering amount of online accounts.Was yours one of them?
Imagine exploring around in the awe-inspiring Roman Colosseum, drinking up its ancient history while someone sneaks your wallet out of your pocket. Or standing atop the Eiffel Tower, taking in the grandest view in the world as someone silently swipes your passport and starts running around Paris under your name. Life-enriching experiences, particularly related to travel, are dashed against the rocks the moment you discover you’ve been victimized. To fully enjoy your travel adventures, you have to first take the target off your back. Here’s how:
So you’ve heard there could be a big cyberattack coming…
Perhaps you’ve turned on the news and caught wind of warnings about, umh, some countries allegedly trying to mess with other countries’ cyber networks and infrastructure — even private homes. And now you’re worried. What does this mean? Will my devices stop working? Is my internet safe? What do I do?
PC makers often preload your desktop and laptop with toolbars, app trials, advertising software and other programs that you don’t want – all software commonly known as “bloatware.” The result? A super slow PC that runs out of disk space faster than you can fill it. In this blog post we’ll show you a few easy steps to help you get rid of such stuff.
Ad blockers exist for every platform—desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. But is it worth it to install this software? On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. We fast-forward through the commercials on television, throw out the junk mail we find in our mailboxes, delete the spam that infests our email inboxes, so why wouldn’t we want to eliminate those obnoxious and distracting ads that ruin our browsing experience?