Since almost all of our transactions and communications are now done online, there’s also the risk of subjecting our data and information to security risks. There will always be people who will try to trick you or to hack your accounts even during pandemic times and so you need all the help you can to protect yourself. Google shares the various advanced security protections that they have set in their various products as well as the other things you can do to protect yourself online.
One of the most important things you have to learn is how to spot phishing emails. With COVID-19 being on top of everyone’s minds, there’s a tendency to open emails and even links related to it. You have to be careful and evaluate any email sent to you and be wary of those that will ask for your personal information like home address and especially bank details. You can check the validity of a URL by hovering over it or long pressing on it on mobile. Enterprise emails also have more secure tools so make sure you’re using that for any work-related emails.
Video conferencing is now an important part of most company’s workflow. Google Meet already has built-in security controls but in case you’re using another app, you can still make it more secure. You can add another layer of verification to ensure that only those authorized will be in on the call. You can also enable the “knocking” feature so the meeting organizer can vet those who are coming into the meeting. If the virtual meeting asks you to install a new app, make sure that you verify the invitation before you install.
To make your passwords more secure, you need to change them regularly. And instead of using just one password for all your accounts, better use password managers to create unique ones and save and manage them. While there are paid or freemium apps out there, Chrome and Google have built-in password managers that are actually pretty good.
Google also reminds you to do a regular Security Checkup and to run a Password Checkup to see if any of your saved passwords have been compromised. And when you get security updates on your mobile device, it’s best to download and install them at once. Hopefully you won’t get victimized by any of those who are taking advantage of these times when you’re going all digital.
