This is a crazy week in IT support. Security threats like WannaCry made public news. So some in our Boston computer service shop ask question, especially about protection. So here is how to protect your digital space: It’s simple.

But I’ll tell you one thing not to do: Click on any unfamiliar documents. Also, avoid funny software apps and email attachments. Hackers use this to hijack your system and get your information. In some cases, they will demand payment. Another common sense thing you can do is get antivirus software protection. I’m an Avast fan. But there are many good programs to choose from. Get some today.

Now, let’s talk passwords. Make them as strong as possible. Furthermore, make them something you and only you can know. Let’s get away from the ‘123456’ and ‘baseball’. But there are some tips not many people may not know. There is the plug in HTTPS Elsewhere. This gives you protection from hacking and surveillance. Don’t take my word for it. Look it up yourself. Here is another popular protection tool. They call it two step authentication. Let’s say I log in my ?email account. They don’t ask for my password anymore. But the request to log in goes to my cell phone. Then, my phone asks me a question only I know (ex: Who was my 1st grade teacher?). It’s annoying, but it adds another layer of safety.

And there are more ways to protect your digital space. Ever hear of VPN (Virtual Private Network)? Maybe you should look into one. Look, I know these things can be annoying. The email thing is annoying to me. In fact, sometimes I wish they would go to the old password. But if this is what it takes to better our safety, I’ll play along. This is a different ballgame now. The enemy is playing by different rules. So shouldn’t we be, too? What would you do to protect your digital space?