You shouldn’t be too relaxed in this technological age. It’s exciting that people are getting more and more connected thanks to the internet, but it’s also scary that this interconnectedness is being exploited by hackers.

Hackers are known to steal your personal data, transfer malware and even open bank accounts in your name. They’re a pest! If that doesn’t give you any reason why you should take cyber security seriously, I don’t know what will.

However, the truth is that there are things you do that makes you vulnerable to hackers. Here are some ways you create avenues for hackers to ruin your life.

1. You tap into every available Wi-Fi signal you see

Who won’t get tempted to use free Wi-Fi? Hackers can get into your phone or computer through free Wi-Fi and access all your data.

So if you’re going tap into free Wi-Fi make sure you do that with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN will protect your device from any intrusion by encrypting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) such that no hacker gets access.

2. You make use of poor passwords

Do you think that creating an easy password is convenient for you because you won’t have to struggle to remember the password?

Passwords with poor security strength are easy to figure out. And trust me when I say this: A hacker has a lot of tricks up his sleeve when it comes to trying to figure out your password.

A good way to protect yourself from being attacked by hackers is to change your passwords regularly. Your passwords must also contain alphabets, numbers and symbols to ensure that they are secure.

3. You don’t update your software

Are you one of those people who ignore the prompts that tell you to update your software? But just one click of a button you can keep hackers at bay.

All software constantly go through changes to close off vulnerable areas in the software that hackers may exploit. Updating the software will help to further secure your device from attack or malware.

You click on links without considering the source

So you get an email from someone you don’t know and the email sounds surprisingly convincing. The email goes further to tell you to click on a link that will take you somewhere where you can claim a prize, get a free gift or something along those lines. Would you click the link?

Well, most people do and unknowingly start downloading malware that infiltrates your device and takes all your valuable data. This method is called phishing.

To prevent this from happening, remain suspicious of any link that is sent to you via email.

You’re not wary of the kind of websites you visit

Just like method 4 above, hackers make use of the same tactic, but this time through harmless looking websites. These websites are teeming with malware that could be downloaded into your device. To protect yourself from such danger get yourself a trusty antivirus to protect yourself. An antivirus will be able to detect when a website has malware and alerts you immediately.