Hacking isn’t just a threat; it’s a reality.

There is a common image of a hacker as being a hooded person hunched over a keyboard surrounded by multiple monitors in the darkness of a basement somewhere out there. The result of this image is typically an ominous emotion when confronted with the thought of your personal data being available to them through a couple keystrokes and clicks of a mouse. Yet, in reality, cybersecurity threats are no longer limited to these basement-dwelling cyber-pirates… they could be as close as the table next to you in your warmly-lit coffee shop just down the street from your house.

The common misconception of hackers being distant threats is damaging because it can reduce our awareness of how we all have a responsibility in ensuring our security online. The battle for security is not limited to one person or one anti-virus software but goes beyond. It is a collaborative stand by all of us on multiple fronts as we take ownership of protecting our privacy, together.

How can we be a part of the solution? By not being a part of the problem.

Here are 6 quick tips as to how we can do our part in protecting our data from cyber threats:

1. Rotate. Your. Passwords.

This is the most straightforward and simple strategy to counteract the most basic efforts to hack your account. By rotating your passwords and not using the same one for every account is the first step down the path of cybersecurity and yet, is the one where most people have yet to go.

Pro Tip: Too intimidating to have to remember your now numerous passwords? Try using a Password Manager like LastPass.

2. Be Aware of Open Networks

As the need for WiFi continually grows with the world growing more and more dependent on the Cloud and jobs employ the benefits of virtual offices, there is a sense of relief when one finds a public WiFi network. However, one should quickly follow that sense of relief with a sense of awareness regarding the heightened availability of your data to everyone else on the network. While it can be unavoidable sometimes given certain situations, you can at least do their best to avoid logging into hyper-important accounts, such as a bank account on a public WiFI network.

3. Update Everything

We all know people who are hesitant to update their phone or laptop because of battery worries or the convenience of not having their software change, but the fact is, that these updates contain the most current editions of security offered. When confronted with the choice of whether we would rather have to deal with our home screen looking a little different or a hacker being able to exploit a loophole in outdated programming, the choice should be fairly obvious.

4. Encrypt & Backup Data

By encrypting your data, you will make it more difficult for a stolen piece of hardware to be exposed. Encryption will basically ensure there is an additional level of security in ensuring access to your information is not available to the highest bidder. Backing up your data ensures that if your hardware is stolen, you won’t lose everything, so make sure you do it often.

Pro Tip: To learn more about encrypting your data, I recommend this article and for backing up? Check this out.

5. Be Awake

There is a saying in the law enforcement world of, “Crime doesn’t sleep.” The idea behind the saying is to remind detectives and agents of the law to not be complacent or “asleep” but to be aware at all times of what is going on around them. The state of perpetual cognizance is one that must be adopted in terms of cybersecurity. Do your best to be informed regarding the latest security threats and trends so you can do your part in taking ownership of your information.

6. Better Together

At the end of the day, one can only do so much on their own. By taking ownership of your information and employing these strategies for yourselves is one thing but it requires the cooperation of all in order to provide security for your family, business, or even friend group. By working together, sharing strategies, and doing your best to make sure everyone is on the same page, you can be a part of the larger movement fighting against hacking and know that the world is a safer place as a result.

These 6 strategies are only a part of the strategy and mindset one must have in order to truly be safe. As the world grows more and more connected, the need for cybersecurity will only increase and there will never be an end to the number of things we should be doing in order to ensure the safety of all. While there have been major issues that have shaped the public policy in the past ranging from the role of government to civil rights, the next battle on the forefront of the minds of people is privacy. The ensuring that our information remains safe is not a one-and-done effort but a constantly evolving effort taken on by all of us.