As a solopreneur or freelancer operating independently, it’s important to identify a core set of security tools and technologies to stay protected. This is primarily because hackers and other bad actors usually tend to follow a “spray and pray” model. They target people and businesses (even solopreneurs and freelancers) assuming they have poor cybersecurity practices in places.

It is generally seen that a big majority of solopreneurs and freelancers only get paid for their core efforts which means that they are less likely to spend money on data security. That inherently makes them highly vulnerable to malicious attacks. However, there are many out-of-the-box security stack tools to stay protected against hacking, phishing, and other attacks.

Security Tools To Control Access

Every form of security breach involves some sort of unauthorized access. Therefore, controlling access should be a top priority of your cybersecurity program.

• Password manager (PWM): A powerful Password Manager tool can empower your cybersecurity program by generating complex and difficult-to-crack passwords. For example, you can use Bitwarden or Dashlane to secure your passwords. Also, you should always make it a habit to store the actual login page too, and not just your password. This is primarily because hackers tend to create a similar and sophisticated fake login page to steal information.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN): If you cannot avoid a public network, it’s best to trust a virtual private network (VPN). This helps you access the internet via a private, encrypted tunnel for your web traffic that makes it difficult for hackers to intercept. You can choose from a lot of VPN options such as ProtonVPN, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, and so on. Remember to make use of VPN software not just on your computers but also all your connected devices, irrespective of whether you’re using a public or private network.
• Multi-factor (MFA) or two-factor (2FA) authentication: By enabling Multi-factor (MFA) or two-factor (2FA) authentication, you can significantly enhance security on top of your passwords. It also makes it difficult for hackers to get into your apps even if they somehow gain access to your passwords. This kind of authorization may be in the form of a one-time code sent to you, delivery through a different device, or delivery through an authentication app like Authy. In today’s times, biometric authentication is also gaining popularity, both for hardware and app access.
• Endpoint security: Small business security suites from Sophos and Kaspersky can be excellent choices to protect you from viruses, ransomware, etc. If you’re only using an anti-virus, firewall, or anti-malware software, you are missing out on web filtering or access restriction, patch scans that identify software that’s not up-to-date, and broader threat detection in cloud-based traffic and communication channels.
• Encrypted storage: It is always a good choice to make use of an encrypted storage mechanism, which is different from your local drive or other cloud-based apps. For instance, you can select between cloud-based encrypted external storage and encryption lockers. For this, you can try out Dropbox Vault, Folder Lock, and similar tools. It is also advised to use a cloud-based backup solution like Backupify or Carbonite as backup options for redundancy.

Lastly, cybersecurity is an ongoing process and you should always keep on improving your security stack. Find out how you can accurately identify your security threat model and ensure your cybersecurity program is hard enough to beat. Discover the best of data security by visiting the Dana Sacco website now!