You consider yourself a tech savvy user. You know your way around the computer, you can install your own software with ease and you even know how a virtual private network (VPN) works.
Being a smart and savvy tech user is important, of course, but even the well educated and sophisticated can make some critical mistakes. Here are five dangerous cyber security blunders that can trip up even the most advanced user.
#1. Locking Your Phone with Your Banking PIN
Setting a PIN code may seem straightforward, and for some tech savvy users that is the problem. The setting of a passcode for a smartphone seems so simple it is easy to simply enter the numbers you use at the ATM.
Locking a phone with a series of numbers that unlocks other things is a common mistake, and it is a blunder even sophisticated users often make. If you make this blunder you could be one curious shoulder surfer away from an empty bank account.
#2. Unsubscribing from Sketchy Emails
Being a tech savvy user does not safeguard your email inbox from spam. Indeed many power users find themselves buried under a mountain of unwanted messages, leading them to make another critical cyber security blunder.
Unsubscribing from unwanted email newsletters and product pitches may seem like a good idea, but you should think twice before you hit that button. It is generally safe to unsubscribe from large and well known brands, but sketchier sites will simply see the attempt as proof positive the email is a good one.
Instead of unsubscribing from those sketchy emails, just mark them as spam and send them to the junk folder. This will help train the spam filter to ignore future messages, hopefully leading to a somewhat cleaner inbox.
#3. Grabbing That Too Good to Be True Bargain
Everyone loves a bargain, but some online deals are really too good to be true. You do not have to be a newbie to fall for these bargain basement sales pitches, but it is best to think before you click.
Sometimes these too good to be true offers involve shoddy or counterfeit merchandise. Other times the products ordered simply never arrive, leaving you to fight it out with your credit card company. Either way the shady merchant now has access to your financial information, not to mention your home address.
If you simply cannot resist the bargain being offered, ask your credit card issuer for a one-time number. This single use credit card number will get you your stuff without putting your actual finances at risk.
#4. Not Changing the Default Password on Your Wi-Fi Equipment
Every advanced internet user need a super fast Wi-Fi connection, but a little caution is in order. The days of open Wi-Fi with no password are largely over, but that does not mean your work is over.
When you sign up for a new service the equipment you receive will typically come with a default password, one that is supposedly unique to your household. Even so it is better to change the default to something easy for you to remember but difficult for anyone else to guess.
#5. Not Giving Bluetooth a Break
Having a steady Bluetooth connection may be convenient, but there are times you should give it a break. There are may known vulnerabilities surrounding this technology, and leaving it on in public spaces could put your data at risk.
Getting into the habit of turning off Bluetooth when you leave your home, or at least when you enter a crowded café or airport, is a solid practice, one savvy user should embrace. You can always turn the service back on when you need it.
It is easy to think that only unwary users fall prey to hackers and cyber criminals, but that is definitely not the case. No matter how many degrees you have or how many years of internet use you have under your belt you are only one mistake away from danger. Even if you think you are secure you should ask yourself if you are making any of the five mistakes listed above.