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As cybercriminals evolve their attacks and new protection tools become more available, it’s worth reevaluating your cybersecurity hygiene to enhance your digital safety. The idea can seem daunting, but you don’t need to completely rethink your cybersecurity strategy. It just means that some security tips that were once touted as essential for online safety have become outdated. They’re not completely useless, but on their own or when considering your digital needs, they’re just not effective at keeping you safe anymore. Luckily, before cybersecurity experts declare these tips no longer effective, there’s usually a solution.
For instance, changing passwords regularly is now considered riskier than just having one strong password. Since staying away from public Wi-Fi can be impractical at times, it’s better to know the tools that can keep you safe when you can’t avoid it completely. Also, with the rise of AI-powered malware, sticking to traditional antivirus software that doesn’t use machine learning to combat it has become a security risk. While you don’t need to be paranoid, knowing what works and what doesn’t is key to ensuring that you don’t fall victim to the ever-evolving tactics of cybercriminals.
Change your passwords regularly
On the surface, the advice to change your password regularly, usually within a period of 60 to 90 days, makes sense. If hackers steal your credentials, they’re only useful to them for a limited time because after you change them, they immediately become outdated. That is theory, but in practice, human error can make this useful tip less effective, even though it has merit. Asking a human to change the dozens of passwords they have these days every few months is tedious. So what do they end up doing? Using a variation of the old password across several sites so that they can easily remember it. Hackers use tools (now they’re AI-powered) to spot these patterns in your passwords. So if they figure out your old password, they will likely figure out the new one.
Rather than changing passwords regularly, it’s best to use a password manager that allows you to generate strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. Even if you have no trouble creating strong passwords, you should still store them in the password manager so you can enter them securely. If the website has it, use multi-factor authentication (MFA). In particular, passwordless options like passkeys and security keys are not only more convenient but more secure since the authenticated session is tied to your device.
Stay away from public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi networks, like the ones you find at airports, hotels, and restaurants, are risky. That isn’t up for debate, but it’s impractical to completely stay away. So in those instances where you have no choice but to use public Wi-Fi, you can find yourself without protection. On public Wi-Fi, hackers use Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, where they exploit the network’s vulnerabilities to place themselves between you and the network. This can allow them to see data you’re sending over the internet from an unsecured device. But if your device is secure, you need not fear public Wi-Fi.
You can use a VPN, which encrypts your data before sending it to a VPN servert to its intended destination. If the hacker intercepts the data, the encryption makes it useless to them because only the VPN server can decrypt it. There are several VPN providers you can choose from, but you can also use browsers with free built-in VPNs like Firefox and Opera
If you need to connect a device that can’t natively install a VPN, like a Nintendo Switch 2, you can use a VPN router like the TP-Link ER605 V2. It encrypts the data of connected devices before sending it to the VPN server. You’ll need to set up a VPN profile, though, using one from your VPN provider.
Traditional antiviruses are still all you need
Besides AI driving the global RAM shortage and leading to price hikes in consumer tech, it’s also causing trouble in the field of cybersecurity in the form of adaptive malware. Its description might sound like science fiction, but the threat is real.
Adaptive malware uses machine learning to constantly evolve itself so it can avoid detection. One way it does this is by manipulating its code in real time (through integrated AI models), making it hard for antiviruses that rely on pattern recognition to identify it. It can also scan and assess the specific vulnerabilities of targeted devices before launching an attack in order to come up with a tailor-made exploit that has a high chance of avoiding detection.
Stopping this is beyond the capabilities of traditional antivirus software, which is why the likes of Bitdefender are also utilizing machine learning to combat these threats. Bitdefender is just one example, but many AI-powered antiviruses leverage the power of AI models to create defenses that are unique to your phone or computer. So if you’re still using traditional antiviruses, know that we are past the age of traditional malware. They can offer little or no defense in the face of adaptive malware.
Two-factor authentication is enough protection
You are probably using two-factor authentication (2FA) to log into some very important online accounts. These can be your Google, Facebook, or PayPal accounts, where you first enter your password and then have a code sent to your phone either as a text message or a push notification or you grab it from an authenticator app. It’s one of the more secure methods because it eliminates the need to solely rely on a password, adding an extra layer of protection that forces a cybercriminal to resort to tactics like phishing. However, two-factor authentication is no longer as safe as it used to be – hackers don’t need to trick you into providing them with the 2FA code.
Basically, they trick you into signing into the website. The moment you do, your browser stores information about the login in data files called session cookies. It does this so that you automatically log in to the website without needing authentication. This is what cybercriminals are now stealing to access your accounts and steal your information, including passwords, addresses, phone numbers, credit card details, and private messages, without needing to go through 2FA. Instead of relying solely on 2FA, you can try passkeys and security keys, as these are stored on the device and have a better chance of protecting against unauthorized access.
