In January 2023, Costa Rica had roughly 4.66 million internet users, and this number seems to be gradually increasing. The problem is that nowhere near as many people know enough about cybersecurity; all the while, online threats, and hacker attacks are becoming more and more frequent and more and more potent.
With that in mind, here are the top seven tricks that citizens of Costa Rica could do to protect their online presence in 2024.
1. The use of the right software
In order to stay safe online, you need to learn how to use the right software.
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Why?
Well, here’s an analogy. You see, using the right software is like wearing a lifejacket while on the boat. Even if you know how to swim, you have no idea what will happen when you find yourself in a scenario where your life is endangered. A lapse of judgment or a moment of panic can cause a massive problem.
The same thing happens with cybersecurity. These tools work passively and automatically. This means that they offer protection regardless of the situation. An antivirus will always block a threat it detects, a VPN will always give you encryption and protect your IP address, etc.
Even with these tools, people have so many questions. For instance, they want to know if a premium antivirus plan is worth it or if they can just stick with a free version. They also want to know if VPNs are safe to use and if they’re legal to begin with. The answers to these questions are simple: once you start really looking for them, they’re usually what you would expect.
Yes, premium antiviruses are worth it, and yes, VPNs are safe and are legal in most parts of the world, according to software reviews expert Aleksandar Stevanovic.
2. Understanding the importance of anonymity
You need to understand that anonymity matters. You don’t have to agree to every cookie, you don’t have to keep these cookies on your browser forever, and you really, really need to take a step back every time you’re asked for your private info.
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There’s a reason why so many people prefer to buy without registering. It’s not just about the fact that they don’t want to be spammed by offers and newsletter publications. It’s also about giving sensitive private info to a vendor they might not trust as much.
Also, keep in mind that there’s always an anonymous option out there. Even if they insist that you register and agree to cookies, there’s always another vendor out there. Even if you are enjoying luck-based games online, it’s relatively easy to find no KYC casinos. This is one less piece of sensitive private data that you’ll have to give out and worry about.
3. Use a strong password
The most important thing you have to do in order to stay safe online is start by using a strong password. If your password is easy to figure out, no one can save you.
The thing is that a lot of people use something predictable. For instance, they use “password” as a password or even “123456.”
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Remember, even the president of Costa Rica used a “123456” password to lock his phone, which means that this is not an isolated incident or something that happens to just a select group of people. Even someone who’s clearly as big of a target neglected his own cybersecurity, and you cannot allow doing so.
You don’t want something that’s too easy to guess by just looking at your profile, which means that you want your password to be random. The best way to generate random passwords is to download and start using a password manager.
4. Use 2FA
The next thing you need to take into consideration is the importance of using 2FA (two-factor authentication). What if your password gets lost despite your best efforts? It’s a problem, for sure; however, it doesn’t have to be fatal. Namely, if you use a 2FA, you’ll receive a notification or a code in your second email or an SMS.
This serves a dual purpose. First, they cannot log in without a code, which means that the password they have is completely useless. The best they can do is try this password (in combination with your email) in order to see if they’ll manage to log in (if you’re using the same password for everything), but chances are that even those platforms will use a 2FA.
Other than this, you also get notified that someone is trying to log in. This gives you enough time to change all the other passwords.
The bottom line is that you won’t even have to download a third-party platform or anything of the sort since most of these tools have an in-built 2FA feature.
5. Be very careful what you upload online
Online, you never know who is watching. Uploading a picture of you picking up your kids from school to your Instagram story seems harmless enough (even common), but what you’re broadcasting this way is where your kids go to school and when they finish. Are you comfortable with this idea? No? Good! You shouldn’t be.
By posting things online, you’re giving malicious online parties things they can abuse to harm or hurt you. You can post a picture of your birthday, but what happens if you use your date of birth as a password (a horrible idea)?
Deleting posts is ineffective since you never know who has already seen it and who has a screenshot. In an era where you can get fired because of a tweet, this definitely doesn’t sound like a smart idea.
6. Update everything
In the first section, we talked about using the right software. Well, this software will only keep you safe if it’s up to date. This way, every known bug is patched, and every known exploit is fixed.
Zero-day protection means that your devices and accounts are secured from all threats that are currently known. Teams behind these tools are constantly working on detection and feedback so that they’re always in the loop of what’s going on.
The majority of updates are automatic, but you can also manually check for any skipped or missed updates and kickstart them. This only takes a few minutes, but it can actually be life-saving.
7. Back up all your data
The next thing you must know is that a data loss can be just as devastating as an account takeover. So, you want to back up everything.
First, you want to use cloud storage. This way, even if one of your devices dies or gets stolen, you still have your data. Sure, it’s still a problem but not nearly as significant as it might have been otherwise.
You also need to develop a habit of making copies of your backups and even testing your backups from time to time. There’s nothing worse than a corrupted backup in a scenario where you need it. The problem is that most people will never check until they actually need it.
Cybersecurity is a personal responsibility
One of the most important things you need to understand about cybersecurity is the fact that it’s a huge problem for everyone, which only a few people take seriously. Browsers, certificates, and antiviruses (even free ones) are doing such a good job that a lot of people are taking these threats less and less seriously. This can be a grievous mistake. Don’t allow yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security.
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Carter Maddox
