How to Protect Your Digital Assets

 

Avast

Just like antivirus software, it’s important to do your own research before choosing a VPN to use with your own devices. If your privacy is particularly important to you, you may want a VPN that doesn’t track your browsing history or one that will protect your information against court orders as well as criminals.


Many providers have a variety of introductory offers, free trials and additional features to entice people so make sure to read all of the small print carefully to avoid any potentially predatory agreements. Free software is usually free for a reason!


For detailed comparisons, check out the best VPN services in 2022 from TechRadar or this guide to buying the best VPN from Which?


Encrypt your Information
You can easily protect your private information by using disposable encrypted email addresses when signing up for a new account. Many banks will even allow you to create a temporary virtual card for an additional layer of security when online shopping.


These throwaway credentials are normally only attached to a single account and can be deleted at any time, keeping your other accounts protected, even after a compromise.


Create Strong Passwords
You can maximise your online security by practising good password hygiene. Always use strong and unique pass-phrases with a minimum of 12 characters that include upper and lower case letters and contain at least one number and one special character.


Take care to avoid using sequential numbers, common words found in the dictionary or any information that can be guessed easily like your birthday, middle name or favourite colour. You should also avoid using anything included in traditional security questions like the name of your first pet, the city you grew up in or your mother’s maiden name


We recommend setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) with an authenticator app wherever possible, as SMS messages are particularly vulnerable to SIM swap hacking.

 Use a Password Manager

You can use a password management app to generate and store strong pass-phrases in a secure environment.


Though we are unable to endorse any particular options, our staff have liked using the following:

Dashlane
Nordpass
1password
Bitwarden
(Please note - we are no longer recommending Lastpass due to a large data breach in Aug 2022)


As always, do your own research before choosing a password manager as it may not be suited to your specific needs. If you need a helping hand to decipher the differences, take a look at the latest research from independent reviews sites like TechRadar, Tom’s Guide or Which?


Pay Attention
Always check the URLs of every website you visit and the email addresses of every message you receive. Look for the padlock symbol in the address bar, make sure the domain is still intact (.com, .co.uk or .org etc.) and review the spelling & grammar carefully to ensure it matches your expectations.


You should be suspicious of any message that requires immediate action or asks you to open any dubious links or attachments as they may be used to scam you again. If you receive an email that you suspect is fraudulent, please forward it to Ascetreality@gmail.com and delete it without opening it.


Avoid Public Networks
You should avoid using free public wifi networks, especially when carrying out any financial transactions like purchases or transfers. Try not to use free charging stations either as publicly accessible USB ports can be used to introduce malware to your devices.


You may want to consider using a screen security protector if you need to make a lot of trades or sensitive transactions in public.


Use a Cold Wallet
Always store the majority of your cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and other digital assets in a cold wallet storage solution that is NOT connected to the internet as this will keep your funds safe from any unwanted interference.


You may also want to consider using a physical hard wallet that connects to your device with a USB to store your digital assets, your secret recovery phrase or even your individual seed words. However, you should make sure you don’t store any other information on the same device.



For More Help…

Check out our education centre to learn more about protecting yourself and your cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or other digital assets.