The Student’s Guide to Cybersecurity — 9 Top Tips to Prevent Yourself From Hackers

In today's digital era, school and college students are more digitally connected than ever before. According to the report, 73% of 13-17 years old teenagers have smartphones, 87% of teenagers have computers. Reports also show that around 55% of 18-29 years olds have experienced at least one kind of data theft.

Nowadays, almost every school or college student owns a smartphone or a laptop. So, Hackers target students because most of the students do not have a basic knowledge of cybersecurity. Therefore, every student must learn cybersecurity concepts at some point.

If you want to protect your personal information, academic work from cyberattacks throughout your school and college years, you should use the following online cybersecurity tips on a regular basis. 

9 Top Tips to Prevent Yourself From Hackers

1. Check Your Bank Statements Regularly

Nowadays, most people have received online bank statements for the previous month at the starting of the month. So, make a habit of checking every month's bank statements at the starting of the month. Sometimes hackers won't empty your whole bank account but will take smaller amounts of money over longer periods of time because most of the time you ignore if a smaller amount of money is deducted from your bank account. If you don't check your bank statements regularly then it won't raise suspicion.

To avoid getting your money stolen out of your bank account, it is important to make a habit of checking your credit card and bank statements regularly and also monitor the charges. If you find anything suspicious at any time, report them to your respective bank immediately.

2. Back-Up Your Data Frequently

It is very important for students to prepare for any type of cyberattacks because nowadays online threats are increasing rapidly. That's why regular backup of data is also very important. By backing up data regularly, students can easily recover it all if necessary.

Backing up your data onto an external hard drive is always a good idea. Regular backup of important data will not only allow you to easily retrieve any information at any time when you need it, but it will also protect you from file corruption and ransomware. Also, if your system ever breaks down, you can still be assured that all fo your important data is stored safely elsewhere.

3. Don't Click on Everything You See

Always think twice before you click on everything you like because nowadays attackers pretend to be trustworthy to get you to click on a link or download an app that contains malware, which could result in a data breach.

So, Never click on anything that may be suspicious. When you are in doubt, do a quick Google search to get some information before clicking on any link.

4. Use Public Computers Wisely

Nowadays, students carry their own devices with them every time, but campus libraries, campus labs will also have public computers. So, when you are in labs or libraries you will have to use a public computer.

At that time, make sure that you do not save any passwords and always log out of all accounts before you leave. Also, try to access websites that reveal your sensitive personal information, For extra safety, make sure to browse in an Incognito window or clear the browsing history before walking away.

5. Don't Shop on Strange Websites

Online shopping websites will give you more options than actual stores. But, not every online shopping website will be safe to use. If you want to buy something online, make sure to google it first and review the privacy policy page, about page, and payment system of that website.

You should always make sure that your payment is secured enough. Use a credit card and avoid using a debit card whenever you shop online because it may be linked to other financial accounts. So, Be careful and shop from a secure website only.

6. Be Careful About Where You Share Your Personal Information

Even if you're get something for free, don't be too quick to share your personal information unless you're sure that the website is safe to use.

Be aware that banks and student loan companies will never tell you to provide personal information in the email. If they asked for it, don't be afraid to contact them directly to verify. So, always keep your personal and sensitive information confidential.

7. Ensure that Your Systems are Up-to-Date

Make sure you have good and reputable security software in place to protect your information. There are too many options that offer multi-layered security beyond viruses, like spam filtering, firewall protection, which are highly recommended. So, do your own research and select the one you feel is best for you.

It is very important that you regularly check and ensure that the security softwares are always up-to-date. Also, make sure that your systems are up-to-date as well.

8. Enable 'Find My Phone'

Currently, every smartphone has a 'Find My Phone' option and by enabling that option you can track your phone if you misplace it. 'Find My Phone' option also has a feature through that you can remotely lock down your device or erase all information before anyone can access it.

However, very few are aware of the 'Find My Phone' option. So, make sure that you always enable this option on your smartphone. Also, there are plenty of apps available that will help you track your phone if you lost it.

9. Prepare for a Potential Data Breach

Let's hope you won't ever have to deal with a data breach. However, campus networks and servers are always at risk. So, if your campus network and servers hacked by hackers and data breach happen then be ready to change all passwords, and monitor your bank statements closely.

So, These are the 9 top tips to prevent yourself from hackers.

If you have any questions related to any cybersecurity tip and also want to share your views on this then please mention in the comments box and I will get back to you.