Expand your protection
Fill in the gaps in your security and privacy with this essential collection of tips, techniques and tools.
You’ve got the essentials sorted – antimalware software in place, plus any tools you’ve downloaded from the previous spread on cleaning malware infections (even if your PC is currently behaving itself, now is a good time to collect them together somewhere safe, like on a USB flash drive). Now you’ve locked down your PC, what other steps can you take to secure other parts of your online life?
Secure online accounts
Browse to www.haveibeenpwned.com where you’re almost certain to discover your trusted passwords of old have been involved in at least one security breach – even if you weren’t personally affected, common passwords like ‘fred1234’ are bound to have been used by others and subsequently exposed too. We recommend installing a strong password manager like BitWarden ( www.bitwarden.com) to store and generate new lengthy, randomly generated passwords comprising letters, numbers and special characters. All you need to remember going forward is one master password – make sure that password is both memorable and long, not easily guessed and a mix of letters and numbers.
Add an extra layer of protection to your BitWarden password vault – and other key online accounts – by adding two-factor authentication (2FA) to your login. This prevents anyone from getting into your account without physical access to your phone – even if your password is compromised. 2FA codes can be delivered by email, mobile text or to an authenticator app – email isn’t secure (see below), while text messages require you to have a mobile signal when sent. The best option is the authenticator app – we currently recommend Authy ( https://authy.com/), which can be installed on more than one device (including your PC) and codes accessed even when offline.