Cybersecurity Resolutions: Staying Safe in 2022

The year might not have been as jolly as we would hope for, but ’tis the season, and we should be looking forward. For 2022 some cybersecurity resolutions will be for those who haven’t applied them before, while others will be newcomers for the new age.

There are three main differences that the last 12 months brought us and that we need to account for:

1. A lot more people work from home
2. People value their free time more
3. Online business is growing exponentially

And, the playing field is changing rapidly, so we want to stay on our toes when it comes to security and the tools we use. In general, it is always good to be anonymous, but such anonymity must now extend further than ever before.

Thankfully, some tools are tried and proven. If you have a premium VPN provider, such as Le VPN, you will protect your IP address from snoopers. After that, it is a good anti-virus, good anti-spyware, and a good noggin on your shoulders.

What Will Be Different?

It is not as if something, in particular, will change drastically overnight. However, in 2022, we can expect a change in scale if not substance.

Due to what is not dubbed the ‘’great labor shortage of 2021’’ there is a growing number of people who would like to work from home and turn their hobbies into a profession. Others want to move their work to some faraway beach and stop participating in the rat race.

Regardless, both companies, as well as governments and institutions, will try to increase the amount and specificity of data they are collecting. And they are not hiding that!

List of Cybersecurity Christmas Resolutions

Some are quick and simple; others require a bit more to get used to. Still, all the cybersecurity Christmas resolutions will prove very beneficial for your life and livelihood online:

#1 I Shall Not Mix Business and Pleasure

This is an old saying that is getting a new meaning today. Same as in the past, it was a bad idea to show your fun side at work; similarly, it is now unwise to use the same profile for work and random posting.

Ideally, you want to use an anonymous IP address to connect and to have a ”fake” account unable to be traced back to you. This way, even if your livelihood depends on your internet presence, your Instagram won’t be able to detract your LinkedIn contacts from messaging you.

#2 I Shall Not Disclose Private Information to Strangers

Even if you want to be an influencer, your real-life should be impossible to uncover unless you tell someone. Don’t record your home from the outside, don’t speak about what you have and how much you are spending.

And, if you are doing all of those things, use an anonymous account that can’t be traced. That way, your online personality will never go back to the real world to haunt you.

#3 I Shall Not Leave My Payment Information Everywhere

With so much of the buying playing out online, it was a question of time when hackers and other malicious entities online would try to bank in on the unsecured. Scams and fake sales are on the rise, and because of all the drop-shipping, pages often can’t be distinguished from real pages.

It is completely possible that you will see an ad, buy a product that seems fun at a great price, and then never see the page again.

Because of this, it is best to have a separate credit or debit card, ideally, one that isn’t connected to your name, as a payment option. You can also do this through an incognito PayPal account that you will feed through your real one.

#4 I Shall Not Tell What I’m Not Asked

This is directly connected to point #2, as you want to always limit how much info you give, even in places that are expected to share information. If something is not necessary, don’t disclose it.

Last year, we have seen a lot of doxxing, and you never know why you will catch the ire of the online community you frequent.

In the end, you can always burn your fake identity and make a new one, but you can’t do that with your real identity.

#5 I Shall Protect My Identity In Depth

A layer of defense, a layer of deception, and repeat several times. Generally, there are five things you need to have to make your cybersecurity impenetrable:

1. Online personality
2. Professional VPN
3. Updated OS & Security software
4. Secured passwords
5. Offline private information

While it might seem that this is too expensive, it is worth it paying for VPN and cybersecurity software, as well as spending a bit of time setting up your accounts. This small investment will pay out greatly if you are ever at risk and may save you from massive losses such as identity theft.

#6 I Shall Depend Less on the Internet

The biggest issue with everything online is how much we need it. Both for our health and what might happen in the future, it might be a good idea to connect with our friends, family, neighbors, and local communities. You never know when you might need them.

Touch grass, as the kids would say.

Conclusion

As always, you need a few tools and a bit of sense, and you will be fine. With premium VPN providers like Le VPN, you can protect your device, and the rest will be on your behavior online.

Keep safe and happy holidays!