Freelancer’s Cybersecurity Practices for 2023
When your business is your life, you need protection. When you are a freelancer, you are your own business, and your personal data and your business data can mean the difference between getting paid and losing work. A freelancer often uses Yahoo, or Gmail instead of company emails, and these emails need more protection from spam and hackers since they are the way that freelancers communicate.
Keeping your business safe not only entails preventing it from bankruptcy but also includes protecting your data from theft. Cybersecurity for freelancers has been a growth topic recently and it’s not new to most people after remote working became a massive norm for companies and people during the pandemic.
Just as the world is ever changing, a freelancer should also know how to keep up with the trends and one of those is knowing the up to date practices for cybersecurity.
This 2023, we’re going to share a few essential practices every freelancer should know for robust cybersecurity.
- Change or update your password – don’t stick to the past! Go to your computer or app’s settings and go for a real password change. For context, there were 4,100 publicly disclosed data breaches that occurred in 2022 which equates to about 22 billion records being exposed. Don’t wait to be one of the victims of 2023 just because you were too lazy to change your password.
- Use a VPN – Another way to protect your files from criminal hackers is by using a VPN (virtual private network). It is necessary when accessing files, dealing with sensitive information or browsing certain websites. According to Surfshark, a VPN provider, they estimated that about 1.2 billion people would use a VPN in 2023. So, if you’re hesitant about this, research and review first. You’re not the first person to use a VPN and rest assured that there are tons of online reviews you can read to find which VPN provider is suitable for you.
- Maintain Regular Software Updates – A smart practice to prevent running outdated software is to check the software version on your computer. Set your device to automatically update software and make it a point to monitor for updates constantly. Through an update, you are lowering the chances for cyber criminals to get a pass to your system. Turning your computer off regularly also means that updates are completed overnight and they do not interfere with your day job.
