Nowadays, everything to do with food, clothing, housing and transport leave traces on the Internet. All sorts of data, personal information, valuable files and even assets are stored there somewhere, making cyber security a necessary measure for everyone. The use of cyber security software is an important step in this direction. But which software can you trust?

Principles

Cyber security software has three main objectives: blocking, searching and removing malware. Files on electronic devices are scanned to detect network activity to identify malware. Once malware is found, users are prevented from accessing these web pages and running problematic programs. Should a malicious attack occur, the program is blocked from causing havoc and the software also repairs any corrupted files.

Precautions and Usage Tips

1. Stay connected to the internet

According to the a Consumer Council 2021 survey, internet security software does not perform as well offline as when online. This is because it relies on cloud technology and must be connected to a server to detect and identify malware.

2. Most free versions do not have a firewall

A firewall monitors all network traffic, identifies and blocks inappropriate traffic and stops hackers or malware from getting a foothold in the first place. There are free internet security software programs available on the market that have anti-virus and anti-spyware features, but generally they do not include a firewall.

3. Scan devices when your device is idle

Scanning all your files is the best way to detect if your device is infected, but today a smartphone can hold many files, not to mention tablets and computers. As a result, scanning can take up to several hours and many people choose to skip this step. To minimise inconvenience, make use of the time when your device is idle to scan your files.

Additional Security

Lots of people have dual authentication to protect their accounts. However, phishing sites and hackers can get passwords and authentication codes illegally, making dual authentication less effective. For added protection, consider the 5 NFC Multi-Authentication Key from Yubico, a Swedish online security technology company. Insert the key or let it connect to your smartphone in addition to entering your password to login to your account. In fact, Google is a customer of Yubico and its employees use this method for multi-authentication.