But maybe you will lie to us.
January 1 is here. Drunk, you will once again make a list of good resolutions for the coming year and once again, you will not be able to keep them. We know you. We are a bit like you. Will 2023 be the year of the leap to meet your commitments this time? Of course not. Here are five good “tech” oriented resolutions that you will not keep, once again.
We have limited ourselves to a list of five recommendations that should of course be followed to improve your computer hygiene – literally and figuratively, you will see. We could have developed many more – there are plenty of ideas – but let’s just go over the most basic and important tips.
Please use better passwords
Throughout the year, we come across staggering rankings showing the worst passwords used by Internet users to register for services. Of course, it is tempting to create a boat code when it comes to a lambda site, on which you may never set foot again. But that’s getting into bad habits. We urge you to do better.
Not sure how to create a good secure password? We will explain everything to you. Make it unique (don’t reuse it elsewhere, it’s risky). Keep it secret. Don’t write it down on a post-it. Only change your password when there are real reasons to change it — like a data leak. And refrain from creating a combination that can be guessed.
It’s painful, but the security of your accounts is well worth the effort.
Go through a damn password manager
The recommendation can obviously appear paradoxical when one of the most famous software, LastPass, is in big trouble. The service has indeed the victim of a security compromise that leaked personal data. The passwords were indirectly affected, but these are still under encryption protection — which reduces the risk somewhat.
However, the benefit / risk balance always leans much more in favor of the first than the second. These password managers are certainly not infallible – no software is -, but compare their effectiveness to the other solutions available to you: the reliability of your memory to remember everything? Let’s go. Post-its? Be serious.
There are several reputable software, such as Dashlane, KeePass, 1Password or BitWarden. Some are free, some are not. The most sophisticated Internet users tend to recommend using free software, storing everything locally only, on a dedicated machine. This is the safest approach, but it has the drawback of leaving inexperienced people on the sidelines.
Make regular backups for heaven’s sake
Don’t wait for World Safeguard Day to take action. Mobilize before. How long has it been since you backed up your files to additional media — a USB flash drive, external hard drive, cloud storage service? Do this as often as possible. This will save you a lot of unpleasant surprises, such as losing your lessons.
There is a rule when it comes to backing up, called 3-2-1. Each number points to an instruction: 3 copies (one “active”, which you use, and two spare), on 2 types of storage space (a USB key and a hard disk for example) and 1 backup in the cloud , far from you. Well, already do the rule that I will call 1: make a backup. Now.
In addition, regular backup is a very good defense in the event of a ransomware attack. If by misfortune, your files are taken hostage, you will give in less to blackmail if your last backup dates from the day before. You don’t lose much, and you can more easily get your PC or service back up and running — if you’re a pro.
Please enable two-factor authentication
You know, ” the thing where you have to put an extra code “, according to a colleague. This security, also called strong authentication, two-step verification or 2FA (among the most common variations), significantly strengthens the security of your account, by adding a second security code to type after entering your password. .
This code is usually received by SMS or is generated by an application, once you have linked your phone number or the app to the account. This has the merit of adding a safety net if your password ever leaks for one reason or another. This is because the hack will need to make a much bigger advantage to get into your account.
Admittedly, double authentication is not the absolute shield. But if we follow this logic, we might as well do nothing (as you have the right resolutions ¯_(ツ)_/¯). You might as well put “azerty123” as a password and only use it everywhere, since there is no miracle solution. Of course, that’s the advice you’re being given. This will reduce your attack surface.
Clean your screen, your keyboard, your PC, thank you
Computer hygiene is also just hygiene. Not yours, but that of your hardware. Isn’t it time to clean and disinfect your smartphone? Your computer keyboard? Your headphones? In short, everything that is in contact with your skin, your orifices, your sweat. Sorry to say it like that, but is it so wrong?
This new year can also be the occasion to clean your PC tower a little, by opening it to suck up the dust and clear the ventilation grilles – which has the merit of improving the ventilation of the machine, contributing to contain the rise in temperature and by limiting overheating, especially during heat waves.
Bonus: this cleaning operation can also be extended to the documents themselves. There are cleaning applications, but do not expect miracles (especially since some software is in fact infected). Some phones have native tools, like Pixel models. This is an opportunity to delete, for example, duplicate photos or obsolete files.
