Storing your files online comes with great benefits – like easy accessibility or the ease in sharing files… mention it. However, with cyber insecurities flying in the air, there’s the need to know how you can take control over who accesses your files.
Either you’ve been a keen user of online storage for a while now or you’re just considering being a member of the club, you might want to consider these tips sourced from the opinions of customers on ReviewsBird.com forthwith.
● Set Strong Password
Even though this tip might seem so obvious – yeah, it is effective. On getting one of those apps for storing files you need to set a strong password. Setting a strong password for accessing your files would protect you in case the hash of your password gets leaked. And by strong password, we mean – long and unique password difficult to guess, that you might even need a password manager to help you remember what your password is. Just be sure to keep this password secret and safe, and avoid situations where you could need to disclose them. No matter what you might come up with, never use a password you’ve used somewhere else.
● Use 2 Factor Authentication
The 2FA is also called the two-step verification. When you enable this settings, your password will not be the only access to your files. After inputting your password, you would need to enable a code (the 2 factor you need for authentication) before gaining access to your file. This way, unwelcome visitors won’t be able to get at your files even if they know your username and password.
● Encrypt Your Files Before Saving Them Online
This is the most advanced and the most effective of the tips in this article. Oftentimes, the term encryption is used to pronounce a product as secure, but what people never really get to ponder on is – in what way does encryption really work. In most cases, encryption is only applied in a way that nobody can peep into your file while you’re sending it to the online services. Immediately your file reaches its destination, the encryption on your file is lifted so as to successfully save your file on the service’s hard disk drive. So this means most of the time, the connection is encrypted but your files are not. It is a relief anyways that even though the system might not encrypt your files, you have the options to encrypt them to ensure safety.
● Check Connected Apps And Accounts
If you’re the cautious type who has taken every necessary precaution to securing your files online, you might want to consider this tip too. You should understand that even though you might have risen some barricades at the front door, there’s every possibility that they would access your files through the window. Windows like accounts connected to your storage or connected apps like PDF, Adobe, Office documents to mention but a few, which might leave you vulnerable to attacks. To avoid this, you can protect your device by guarding them with security. And note that every time you have a system update, it is usually to fix a known attack that attackers have figured out to get access to your device. So keep your system up to date!
● Sign Out When You’re Not Using Your AC
Most times you might want to keep yourself logged in for quick access the next time you need to work there; this is not advisable. When you’re done, it’s important for you to sign out so as to stop anyone else from gaining access to your files, especially when you’re on a computer you share with other people. Be sure to sign out!
● Confirm All Deleted Files
It’s quite understandable that some services online do have a recycle bin, which helps to keep files after deleting them just in case you want them back. Recycle bins can be very helpful, especially at times when you unknowingly wipe off your files; you can get a backup from there; but could also be tricky. You might need to delete a sensitive file that you don’t want anyone to gain access to, and a hacker can easily recover that file if they gain access to your account. Henceforth, you might need to check thoroughly to ensure a total delete was successful.
Conclusion
Even though these are just some of the most effective ways to improve your files storage security online, applying all of them will help your files withstand numerous attacks and leaks. So hit it!