If you are like many business owners, website security is the thing that never crosses your mind. This is especially so if you are a small business owner who owns a small e-commerce website or runs a small blog as we tend to believe that we are not as much of a target for hackers as compared to the bigger players.

But you could not be more wrong; hackers crawl the entire web looking for vulnerable websites big and small. As stats show, nearly 50,000 websites are hacked every day. So it is vital to have a robust security system for any website. Website security is so important because your website is your storefront, your brand, and the first point of contact with your audience. If you do not secure your website you could irreparably damage critical business relations and destroy your blog.

Some of the dangers of having an insecure website include having hackers install malware that is spread to users, theft of transaction and credit card information, theft of client information such as email addresses and names, and crashing or taking over the site.

1. You Data Accessibility

Authorization features are the most common ways through which hackers breach your website’s security. You need to go with a host that has robust access and user permissions, file management, applications, and login systems.

• A good host is one that uses Secure Socket Shell for logins into the server or the website. The best hosts typically also have RSA keys hardened further with passphrases to prevent unauthorized access into the server or website. You should also find a host that makes it easy to whitelist good actors and blacklist potentially malicious actors.
• When it comes to file management you need a host that comes with robust and secure password permissions for file uploads, transfer, and maintenance. A reliable host will provide remote access to website server following SFTP and FTP best practice.
• The best host that cares about your business will have and enforce a policy of strong passwords for logging into the server and website. Another important aspect of access especially for a business website is the ability to have two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication provides a two-layered security system, and you may have to provide not only passwords but also have to enter a code sent to your phone or email to log into the server or website.

2. Check the Backups Options

You could lose all your hard work in an instant if a hacker attack against your website is successful. To be safe from such an eventuality, you need a web host that provides an effective and reliable backup and restore options. Good hosts typically provide frequent, automatic, and redundant backups of all your website files.

Research shows that more than 65% of small businesses don’t have a disaster recovery plan which includes data loss. That is why it’s so important to always check the backup files that the host provides and ascertain that they are working as expected. It is no fun to have your website crash or being hacked and then discover that you do not have any working backup and restore files.

3. DDoS Protection

Denial of Service attack (DDoS) is the most prevalent source of financial loss to businesses online. A DDoS attack will disrupt your web applications, email, and your entire website by overloading critical resources such as the memory, CPU, and bandwidth of your server, making services unavailable for normal visitors. If you have a business online, whether it is a blog or an e-commerce site, you could face such an attack.

The best hosts will typically have excellent DDoS protection technologies to protect critical applications, email, and websites. Such technology needs to have the capability to automatically trigger as soon as it detects any hint of an attack. It should also have the capacity to filter and block fraudulent traffic while letting through all legitimate traffic.

Having a host that provides such protection will ensure that you do not have to deal with deteriorated service, loss of productivity, customer dissatisfaction, and lost revenues.

4. Software Updates

One of the best things a host can do for you is to protect you from software vulnerabilities from the software installed on your website and on its servers. If you are using a content management system such as WordPress, your most vulnerable software include, scripts, apps, plugins, and the content management system (CMS) itself.

Almost 56% of hacked WordPress blogs are using outdated CMS apps, according to Sucuri report. A good host will either provide a managed service that will update your software for you or will allow you to automatically configure your website to update to the latest versions of software that is less vulnerable to hackers.

On the other hand, a good host will typically have strong update and patch management processes for their servers that deal with any new vulnerabilities in new versions of the software. New updates of software typically have security holes that could present a way for hackers to get into the server and wreak havoc on your website. As such, the host needs to have reliable, repeatable, and consistent reporting frameworks that ensure all systems are working properly and are up to date.

5. Trustworthiness

The most reliable way to determine the trustworthiness of a web host is to read their reviews online. Nonetheless, a lot of reviews online are convoluted given that they are written by the hosts themselves, resellers, and affiliates.

There is another way to get legitimate reviews. The hidden gem of true feedbacks is web hosting forums. Since these are usually written by persons that have actually used the hosting services, they will be a true reflection of the service quality and trustworthiness.

Another way you can determine if a host is trustworthy is to plug their phone number into a  reverse phone lookup service. Tools like that will search for information on hosting provider by its phone number in their database and will tell you if your prospective host has been flagged as a scammer, or even if it has negative reviews.

Conclusion

Web security does not have to be a very complicated process. With a good web host, you will find that a lot of the processes will be hands off and automated most of the time. However, while there is no unified solution that will secure your blog or business website, choosing the most trustworthy host and using the right software that is regularly updated are two of the most critical things you can do.

Nonetheless, while your web host could provide much of the security we have outlined, you also need to be proactive and put in place measure to protect your website. Apart from the backups on the server host, ensure that your website files are automatically backed up in a cloud, on your computer, or other storage devices as regularly as possible.

When all is said and done, automation of your processes and following simple safety procedures and guidelines should keep your website online, secure, and safe from hackers.

Ever heard of a data breach? If not, you are at the risk of being the next victim in line. Case in point is when a shopper uses his or her ATM card for shopping at their favorite supermarket. Later on, he realizes that more money was withdrawn from his account than expected.

This not only hurts the particular grocery store but him as a consumer as well. To cut the chase, a data breach is when a cybercriminal infiltrates information systems to extract valuable data.

Data breaches not only cause the loss of much money but can also cause an irreparable damage to your reputation.

You want to know more about the ins and outs of data breaching to avoid falling victim to their malicious antics.

Why the high incidences in data breaching?

A large portion of our personal information is now on the internet. This only means one thing; An increase in digital data.

With the increase in digital data, criminals in the dark web are scouting for an opportunity to access and impersonate your personal information.

Today, virtually everything is done online. Gone are the days, when you could buy household items at the nearest local store. Thanks to the internet, e-commerce is a success the world over. You get to sample the best products and services in the market from the best of merchants while seated in your living room.

Also Read: WhatsApp’s New Security Measures: Are You Safe from Hackers?

Amazon now ships items to most parts of the world.

Because of data breaches, past studies have given an estimated figure of $3.86 million as the figure that gets lost by companies globally.

As a matter of fact, most business companies and corporations are the most targeted because of the large data they handle.

To your surprise, companies with big brands and reputations have fallen victim to these fraudsters. Companies such as Reddit, Timehop and Macy’s have suffered serious data security breaches in the past.

What is the cause of data breaches?

Given the substantial amounts of money cybercriminals make from data companies, data breaching is not an activity they would want to stop sooner.

What most hackers look for is information that can be personalized easily. This, they will do with the intention of stealing your money or selling your information to the dark web.

Also Read: How to Protect Your Vehicle From Hacking

There are numerous ways hackers could infiltrate companies and your personal information. Interestingly, these attacks are not only targeted to a particular entity but could happen randomly and accidentally.

If your computer has an out-of-date OS or browser, you risk being a victim of data infiltration. An attacker could simply use the security leaks in your browser to access important information found on your computer. Almost always, they will use malware to expose your data.

One other common tactic used by attackers is the use of phishing emails. Phishing emails lead users into revealing their personal credentials such as usernames and passwords. Attackers have a penchant for introducing malware into your computer using email attachments from unfamiliar sources.

You want to be cautious the next time you are opening email attachments.

Phishing is also used by hackers to direct users to insecure sites. These sites trick users into logging into them with their personal eventually falling victim to hackers.

Whether it is a password to your online account, credit card or email, you want to avoid the use of weak passwords. They put you at risk of a data breach as cybercriminals could easily guess and crack on them.

Avoid using passwords with only whole words or numerals. Most websites you register with will warn you against the use of a weak password. Don’t even think of using the same password twice as the same password could easily be trace by attackers over several sites.

Watch the web pages you visit to download stuff from the internet. Some of these web pages are compromised. Such vulnerabilities put you at a risk of downloading malware unknowingly from the internet. Once in your computer, this malware will take advantage of security leaks in your OS or browser.

Also Read: 3 Top Tips to Stop Online Hackers

How to protect yourself against data breaches

Falling victim to a breach of your data is disgusting, to say the least. For example, if funds from your bank account get to be stolen as a result, the organization or company in charge of your data should be held liable.

Companies have a responsibility of protecting the data of their users against hackers. One way to do this would be to cushion their customers from harm by use of credit monitoring service.

In the event your data or funds are stolen, use the company responsible for your data as your first defense.

On the contrary, you are better of preventing yourself from the infiltration of your data by

• Accessing secure websites only

Secure websites have their URLs starting with https. If not on a secure website, you want to keep safe by using a strong VPN service. Best VPN services come with various security protocols. Find out which protocol suits you best.

• Track your bank and financial accounts

Given the inherent risk, your bank accounts face from data breaches, make sure to regularly track your accounts for any suspicious activity. Some banks come with insecurity alert features. You want to use them to get SMS or email alerts in case of a security breach.

• Use strong passwords

Easy passwords online are a no-brainer for hackers. The sooner you start using complex passwords the better your security will be online. You could download free password managers to help you in this quest.

• Avoid the temptation to overshare on social media

Make it a rule of thumb: sensitive information should never be shared on social media. For example, oversharing your home location and places you frequently visit is never wise. It could put you at risk of an attack by criminals in the know about your whereabouts.

Also Read: Hackers Targeting Healthcare Data in Droves: What You Need to Know

The bottom line

The importance of protecting your data can never be understated. With the growing presence of digital data, cybercriminals are also becoming more ingenious by the day. A Data breach is a real threat not only to businesses but individuals as well.  While online or when doing a financial transaction, keeping safe is not an option but a necessity.

Just bought your Computer Glasses a few weeks ago? There seems to be no better feeling than to be able to work on your home or work computer without straining your eyes. All spectacle wearers can’t hide the feeling that comes with putting on clear, unhindered visions using crystal clear Computer Glasses.

However, sometimes, this time is usually cut short by smears, streaks, and even fingerprints. Nothing can turn your joyous mood off than dirty Computer Glasses. Makes you just want to pull them off and wipe them using your shirt or sweater or just any piece of clothing that’s around.

But then, this can end up being where all your troubles start. You can’t just use any piece of clothing you find to clean your Computer Glasses. Improper cleaning of these glasses can end up damaging your modern lenses. And yes, even the Computer Glasses with anti-scratch features end up being damaged over time when improperly cleaned.

There are, however, better ways to ensure you clean your Computer Glasses and have them looking as good as new without compromising their integrity.

For optimum vision, follow these Computer Glass cleaning tips

Even if you have no other option, using tissues or any clothing is not usually the best option for cleaning your glasses. The particles of these clothing and tissues usually leave particles of dirt and dust on the lenses. These foreign particles often cause micro-scratches which eventually blur and impair the vision and quality of the lenses. It is crucial to note that scratches cannot be removed whether they are on your plastic or glass lenses. You may think that the defects only appear to be of a cosmetic nature. But when light gets dispersed by these micro-fine scratches, it ends up irritating the eye. And the only remedy to this is only usually to get new Computer Glasses which can be overly expensive sometimes.

Wash and dry your hands first

Before you commence with cleaning your Computer Glasses, it is essential that you, first, wash your hands thoroughly and dry them. This helps to ensure that your hands are free of any dirt, grime, lotion or anything that can easily transfer to your Computer Glass lenses. So, while washing your hands, use lotion-free soap.

1. Using microfiber cleaning cloths

You can now find many microfiber cleaning cloths that are perfect for cleaning lenses. These microfiber cleaning cloths are scratch-free. They are also lint-free and, thus, are your best first line of defense when planning to clean your glasses.

Good microfiber cleaning cloths work great for day-to-day cleaning. They help provide you a clearer image plus get rid of all the dirt and dust particles and any other debris that may have found their way on your lenses.

You simply need to use these cloths gently on your lenses to remove any debris on your lenses. You, however, need to be careful not to apply too much pressure on your lenses when wiping them using the microfiber cleaning cloths. Lest you end up scratching your lenses instead. You also need to realize that repeated wiping can eventually wear down the coating on the glasses. When this happens, your Computer Glasses will more likely end up being scratched or damaged.

In most instances, you find these clothes being sold with the specialty lenses as well. They also usually come in small sizes. Small enough for you to fit into the casing of your glasses. So, you can always access them whenever you need them. Without having the pressure to use your shirt or sweater to clean your lenses.

So, if you can, you should also fit a good microfiber cleaning cloth in your bill when buying your Computer Glasses.

2. Using lens cleaners

Some specialized lens cleaners are also available for cleaning Computer Glasses. You can always find them at drug stores or grocery outlets. Individual lens cleaners come with their own sets of instructions that you must follow when cleaning your lenses. It is usually recommended that you only spray each of your lenses directly once and then wipe them off using an appropriate scratch-free, lint-free cloth. You do not need to use the lens cleaners often on your Computer Glasses. Instead, only use them when you haven’t worn your glasses for a particularly long time, and they have accumulated some dust or dirt.

3. Dish soap method

Yes! You can actually use dish soap to clean your Computer Glasses. Manufacturers also recommend using dish soap for cleaning glass lenses. To successfully use this method, you need to put a single drop of dish soap on each of your glass lenses under running water. As this happens, you can rub your lenses gently using your fingers to remove any dirt on them.

Your next step should then to rinse the lenses using warm flowing water. After this, your last step is to pat your glasses using scratch-resistant and lint-resistant cloth.

4. Have your glasses cleaned professionally

There are situations where you may not be able to clean your glasses properly. Take, for example, where your lenses are in good shape, but the glass’s nose pads or other components defeat you to clean without damaging your Computer Glasses. In such situations, you need to see an eye care professional.

Here, the professional thoroughly clean your glasses using an ultrasonic cleaning device. In case there are any yellowing nose pads, then those can also be replaced with new ones. It is essential that before you attempt to clean your Computer Glasses yourself, you first check with a professional whether that is possible.

5. Use the glass’s protective storage case

Almost all eyeglasses, Computer Glasses included, come with protective storage cases where you can keep them safe. It is, therefore, necessary that you always store your glasses in their respective cases whenever you are not using them. Even if you are sleeping, glasses are very fragile and can easily get scratched or damaged if not properly cared for.

Final thoughts

There is a lot to cleaning your glasses. Just about everybody has his/her own way of cleaning their Computer Glasses. However, very few methods are recommended and ensure that you do not damage or interfere with the integrity of your Computer Glasses even as you clean them. They are the ones discussed in this article. Try them out and see which one works best for you.

With the holidays quickly approaching, it can be hard to know what gifts to get for the special women in your life. You don’t want to give mundane presents without any meaning. Whether you are shopping for your friend, sister, daughter, mom, or significant other, this list of Christmas tech gift ideas should help you give the best presents.

Phone Accessories

Who doesn’t like getting new accessories for their phone? With cell phones as common as they are today, it is nice to be able to vary their look and glam them up. There are many phone cases out there that are so pretty and beautiful and will add a nice change to one’s style. New earphones or pop sockets are also great accessories for sprucing up a phone.

Items such like these are perfect because many wouldn’t think to get them for themselves. Even consider getting less glamorous, more useful accessories such as a screen protector or new charger. That way, every time she no longer has to position the cord a certain way to charge her phone, she will think of you and be grateful!

Many people might overlook these simple but meaningful gift options. A great thing about phone accessories is that they are easily customizable. Get the object in her favorite color or design to make it an even more special gift. Perhaps the best part about these presents is the price! Phone accessories such as these generally run pretty cheap and can easily be found in most stores or online.

Kitchen Appliances

If she is into baking or has ever expressed interest in wanting to get into culinary, these are the perfect gifts! They can be on the pricier end but won’t break the bank by any means. If you purchase a good quality piece of equipment, consider it an investment that will be useful and last for many years. She will greatly appreciate you taking her interests into account and helping her further pursue her passion.

There are a lot of good choices on the market to include stand mixers, Instant Pots, and even juicers. Research different brands of equipment and consider what she likes to do in order to pick the right appliance.

If she’s not into cooking, there are other good appliances that you could get her. For instance, if she can’t make it through the day without her morning coffee, get her a coffee maker. Maybe her microwave is old and can barely heat her food; buy her a new one! The possibilities are endless.

E-Reader

Again, you should consider her hobbies when deciding whether or not to get her this gift. If she is a bookworm, an e-reader will be a hit! They can be more convenient and environmentally-friendly than old-fashioned paper books.

This is another gift that is generally more expensive, but don’t let that deter you! If you save up for it and buy it at the right time, it will be worth the cost. She will cherish it and get a lot of use out of it.

For an extra touch, load it up with some books beforehand! Add the ones that you know she loves or has been meaning to read for ages. Maybe even put in books you enjoy – most bookworms love new material and will appreciate the thoughtfulness of adding your own recommendations.

Final Thoughts

In short, the best gifts come from the heart. Cater to what she likes, wants, or needs. Pay extra close attention around the holidays because many are known to drop hints, making the process of picking out a present easier for you. You don’t have to spend a lot of money; just put some thought into the gift. Regardless of what you get her, she will most likely be grateful that you took the time and effort to pick out a gift for her in the first place.

Public Wi-Fi can be a lifesaver in those moments where one needs to urgently connect to the Internet and has no other option. Public Wi-FI also serves as a great way for persons on a budget with their Internet subscription plan to connect to the Internet without incurring extra costs. Public Wi-Fi is also readily available, from coffee shops to airports and hotels.

As much as the use of public Wi-Fi comes with the advantage of incurring lower costs and helps with emergency moments, it also exposes users to countless threats. We will be highlighting those threats, as well as sharing tips for staying safe while using public Wi-Fi and choosing the best precautionary measures. For VPNs, for example, it is necessary to go through resources such as VPN reviews when deciding on the best VPN.

Public Wi-Fi threats

Research has established that public Wi-Fi is not as secure as users typically assume. It has been established that the WPA2 encryption which is the standard encryption on a lot of Wi-Fi does not provide a lot of security to users as a hacker with the right skill set can access users’ information and invade their privacy.

Seeing that a lot of establishments that offer public Wi-Fi use the WPA2 standard encryption, it is important to consider taking precautions while using public Wi-Fi.

The common security threats from using public Wi-Fi are highlighted below.

Malicious hotspots and malware distribution

Hackers lurk around public Wi-Fi and even create malicious hotspots to access users’ information. With malware distribution, a hacker entices a user to download a file with malware which gives access to the victim’s device.

Victims cannot generally tell when a malware is on their device and the hacker could gain access to the user’s phone unrestricted for a long period. Malware gives both online and offline access to the victim’s device and the scope of the attack could be unpredictable.

With malicious hotspots, hackers set up a Wi-Fi connection with which they can steal users information and mask the hotspot as a legitimate one sometimes copying the name of a nearby legitimate hotspot.

Snooping, sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks

These attacks are aimed at intercepting communications between a user’s device and the WIFi allowing hackers to steal users’ information. Hackers concentrate majorly on accessing a user’s information undetected and apply several methods and tools in achieving that goal. One of such methods is the interception of file sharing.

How to stay safe while using public Wi-Fi

While using public Wi-Fi, it is important to take precautionary measures because of the security threats which include those mentioned above. Some of the precautionary measures that can be taken while using public Wi-Fi are highlighted below.Do not enter personal information when using public Wi-Fi

Hackers generally hunt for personal information of users. If the user does not enter any personal or sensitive information while they are connected to public Wi-Fi, even if the hacker employs the best tools, they will get nothing from the hacker.

Such sensitive and personal information include address, credit card information, passwords, social security number, and phone number. This means staying away from platforms that require the information highlighted above while connected to a public Wi-Fi

Use a VPN

A VPN is a necessity for persons that need to use public Wi-Fi consistently. When one uses a VPN, the information they share while using public Wi-Fi becomes encrypted as it goes through the VPN server.

With a VPN, one can thus stay above the security threats associated with the use of public Wi-Fi. Even if a hacker intercepts the information of a VPN user, the information will be encrypted and useless to the hackers.

When choosing a VPN, it is important to consider the different features that tell the level of security and privacy offered. Trusted VPN reviews available online consider the different features and guide intending users in making the best decisions.

Disable file sharing

When file sharing is turned on, hackers are given more room to attack the user. A major precautionary measure for staying safe while connected to public Wi-Fi is to turn off file sharing.

The operating system of some devices turns off file sharing when users activate the public option when they connect to public Wi-Fi. Even if the only option is to turn off file sharing manually, it is important to take that measure to ensure safety while using public Wi-Fi.

Get an unlimited data plan

Public Wi-Fi, more often than not, come to the rescue when one has no other option. To prevent such emergency moments, investing in an unlimited data plan is a great idea. With an unlimited data plan, one would never experience moments where they have no option but to connect to public Wi-Fi and would stay completely safe from the security threats.

The use of public Wi-Fi comes with a lot of risks and it is advised to take precautionary measures against these risks, especially if it is not possible to stay completely off the public Wi-Fi.

Jupiter makes high-quality oil cartridges and vape pens. The company currently offers several disposable cartridges and one reusable borosilicate glass cartridge design. Choose from a variety of sizes and mouthpieces designed to fit the Jupiter Liquid 6 and Liquid 9 vape pens. These cartridges have universal 510 threading and are also compatible with a wide variety of other batteries. Find out more about the empty vape pen cartridges made by Jupiter.

Jupiter Liquid 6 Cartridges

The Liquid 6 oil vape features a slim 340mAh Jupiter battery designed for portability. Single-use Liquid 6 cartridges have thermoplastic housing and are designed for one-time use. The refillable Jupiter Liquid 6 Glass Oil Cartridge has a borosilicate glass tank and is available in 0.3ml, 0.5ml, and 1ml capacities. Liquid 6 cartridges are also compatible with the Jupiter Palm Vape Battery. Consider this model if you are looking for an oil vape that has a long-lasting 550mAh battery and a unique profile.

Jupiter Liquid 9 Oil Cartridges

Jupiter also makes empty vape pen cartridges designed for the Liquid 9 Jupiter pen. The 320mAh vape battery in this slightly thicker pen is designed to protect cartridges. Jupiter makes a disposable Liquid 9 cartridge with thermoplastic housing in a 0.5ml capacity.

Other Compatible Cartridges

Jupiter vape pens have 510 threading, which makes these batteries compatible with most oil vape pen cartridges. Jupiter also sells the Klik Dispenser, an accessory designed torelease precise 50mg droplets of oil with a turn-to-dispense clicking mechanism. This toolmakes it easy to refill a reusable cartridge, such as the Liquid 6 Glass Oil Cartridge, while on the go.

Whether you choose a Jupiter vape pen or order the brand’s empty vape pen cartridges, this company makes top-quality oil vapes, accessories, and components. Determine whether disposable one-time use cartridges or a refillable model is the right choiceto meet your vaping needs.