Archives - Security Best Practice


What is a digital signature?

A digital signature—a type of electronic signature—is a mathematical algorithm routinely used to validate the authenticity and integrity of a message (e.g., an email, a credit card transaction, or a digital document). Digital signatures create a virtual fingerprint that is unique to a person or entity and are used to identify users and protect information […]

Block unfamiliar phone numbers, especially if they repeatedly call you

Phone call spam has gotten much worse throughout the 2010s, with many people receiving multiple scam calls per day. Most smartphones allow specific numbers to be blocked, which is advisable for any number that you don’t know and aren’t expecting any calls from.

Change your passwords regularly, or immediately in the case of a breach

Creating a strong password is only part of the password battle. You also need to update it regularly to hedge against the possibility it’s been compromised. If there’s a publicly disclosed data breach that affects your account, then you’ll want to change your password immediately.  

Be careful with URL typos

URL typos aren’t always harmless – the slightly misspelled website might actually be a registered domain that could put your device in harm’s way. The risk has grown as the number of top-level domains has increased; instead of just .com or .org, now there’s also .xyz, .capital and many more. Double-check any URL you type […]

Pay attention to how you charge your devices

Just because a connector fits your device doesn’t mean you should use it for charging. Unlicensed third-party cables might damage your phone or PC. There’s also the more subtle risk of quicker-than-normal battery degradation through fast-charging. All batteries lose their ability to hold a charge over time, but high-voltage charging accelerates this process.

Install your big software updates overnight

While many updates to operating systems and applications are minor and take just a few minutes to complete, others are huge and make require hours. To minimize delays and hassle, it’s a good idea to schedule updates overnight, when you’re not using the device and when update servers aren’t as busy. This will also help […]