online security – Growing Forward

Admittedly, the online world is not always friendly. Indeed, massive data breaches have alerted businesses and governments to watch for criminal cyber-attacks. Online privacy is your basic right to protect your information from bad people, and defending your digital privacy starts with keeping your online activities fully secure. These simple tips will greatly help as you strengthen your security barriers.

1. Share less info online

Sensitive information is like gold to cybercriminals. It’s advisable to share very little personal information about yourself when interacting with others online. Be mindful of pictures you post with tags potentially revealing your geolocation. Indeed, the social media domain could be the first place to start guarding your private life responsibly. Apart from that, virtually all your apps collect some information. Governments may enact data privacy laws, but few companies observe these protocols. An example is the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandals.

2. Create strong passwords and activate two-factor authentication

You don’t want to keep using a lazy password in 2023, as it can jeopardize your online security. Strong and unique passwords are essential to your web safety; sometimes, they are the only way to keep out malicious hackers. It helps to periodically change your password and active two-factor (2FA) to boost your security. Activating multi-step verification gives your online account an extra security barrier if your password lands in the wrong hands.

3. Install antivirus software

The best antivirus apps protect your computer from malware, including trojan horses; this virus can hide behind your device and steal your vital information. On the other hand, bots can turn your PC into a zombie soldier and further infiltrate your system with spam. Experts recommend you update your antivirus software and upgrade your operating system to the latest version. Most antivirus scanners show a green button when everything is in order, but don’t forget to watch out for the red flags.

4. Don’t be too comfortable with public WIFI

Cybercriminals can threaten security if you love connecting to public WIFI routers without minding your privacy. FCC advises users to stick to their home network connections to help lower their risks of exposure online. If you must use public WIFI, ensure you don’t enter sensitive details about yourself everywhere. And you can achieve this in several ways. For instance, learning how to bypass school WIFI with VPN apps is beneficial if you always utilize it. Virtual private network applications secure and encrypt your connection to the internet, including your school WIFI. This way, you can hide your IP address and browse it anonymously.

5. Desist from installing sketchy software

Not every app you see is healthy for your consumption. Some sketchy apps can track you 24/7 and harvest your crucial information without seeking permission. You create security loopholes when you install untrusted browser extensions and other pieces of software online. Make it a point to configure your privacy settings in your devices to ensure no app is broadcasting your sensitive info like location, contacts, email, etc. As far as your online activity is concerned, security starts with being careful about your digital behavior.

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We all know that incredible feeling: checking your accounts and seeing that for the first time, your business has made a profit. It is a day of significant importance. You have put in a tremendous amount of hard work and your own money, and finally, you feel like you are beginning to reap the rewards. It can be tempting to keep that money for yourself and spend it on something a bit frivolous – after all, you deserve it. However, it is important to remember that by making some sensible business investments right at the beginning will bring you more profits later on. For now, the best thing that you can do for you and your company is to invest it back in and continue to grow and develop.

These are what we think are the very best ways to invest your first business profit.

Business Upgrades and Improvement

This could refer to anything that makes the everyday running and management of the company easier for you and your team, and encourage productivity.. This may mean buying some new computers if the ones you are currently working on are old and slow, or upgrading to some automated software, such as accountancy packages or social media schedulers. If you use company vehicles that are older and unreliable, you may want to consider upgrading those. If it improves the productivity and efficiency of your business and staff or improves the customer experience, it is worth it.

Improve your online security

You may think that just because you have only just started making a profit, you are not much of a target for cyber attacks, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth. If anything, would-be hackers and cybercriminals will use that newness and vulnerability and are more likely to target you because you are not as likely to have the big defenses major companies would have. By paying for managed services, you can be sure that your online security systems are installed and managed correctly, and in the event of a data breach, things can be handled quickly and efficiently, minimizing the damage it can cause.

Up your marketing plan

In the beginning, getting the balance right when it comes to marketing is tricky. You know how important it is to invest in marketing to get your business out there and make sales and connect with clients, but you can’t spend too much because well, you are not making any money yet and you don’t want to run out of revenue. That means that up until this point, you have probably been working on a limited budget. Now you have more money to play with, really ramp up that marketing strategy and build on the momentum.

It can be so tempting to spend your first profits on something for yourself, but if you want to strengthen your financial position in the long term, you need to invest that money straight back into the business and use it wisely.