5 Cybersecurity Resolutions to Bolster Your Online Privacy and Security in 2024

The start of a new year marks a great opportunity to reflect on our goals and prioritize our wellbeing, and not just in the physical sense.

The world as we know it revolves around everything digital, and there’s no cutting corners when establishing new routines and habits to safeguard your privacy and security against new cyber threats and malicious actors set on conning unwary netizens out of their hard-earned money.

Technological advances make their mark on the cybersecurity landscape, and individuals need to reassess their online practices, setting achievable privacy and security resolutions that not only protect against bad outcomes but can also help maintain resilience against threats.

Even if you haven’t said goodbye to the post-holiday blues, it’s vital you reinforce the best cybersecurity practices as the new year unfolds. We’re here to empower you to make practical and realistic choices to boost your digital growth and safety.

Make 2024 the best year for your cybersecurity by adopting these five practices:

1. Use a comprehensive security solution to protect your devices

Malicious software, fraudulent websites, and phishing attempts are just a few of the threats users get exposed to daily.

A comprehensive security solution is essential in protecting your devices against credential-stealing Trojans, ransomware, and other nasty internet threats or malicious software you may unwittingly come across online.

Bitdefender security solutions keep up with new and existing threats, and our cybersecurity professionals continuously work on developing state-of-the-art technologies to guard against even the most persistent threats. Our award-winning solutions offer multi-layered protection and innovative features including real-time data protection, network threat prevention, web attack prevention and anti-phishing and anti-fraud filters to block fraudulent and malicious attacks.

Don’t forget; once you install the program, always keep it up to date.

2. Make strong and unique passwords a resolution you can keep, and remember

Sticking to good password practices might be the hardest resolution for any cyber citizen to keep -- unless you opt for specialized software, that is. Password recycling or weak passwords significantly increase your risk of account takeover attacks and fraudulent activity. Prioritize your password security to avoid successful password spraying and credential-stuffing attacks.

For an effective password resolution, opt for a trustworthy password manager to automatically create and maintain the best password practices, and help monitor all the login credentials for the services you use.  Our feature-rich password manager is available on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, helping you easily manage and keep your password safe from any of your devices using the strongest data security protocols. You can easily create and retrieve passwords while the auto-fill options enhance your online shopping experience and protect against phishing attempts.

3. Use dedicated tools to stay on top of scams and fraudsters out to steal your money

The internet makes it very easy for fraudsters to trick users into handing over personal information and money. From traditional phishing to AI-powered scams, threat actors continue to enhance their delivery methods and messages to maximize their reach and profits.

Although awareness and following basic safety strategies are key to staying safe, the evolution of technology has made it harder for regular users to stay a step ahead of the scam game.

The ability to identify fake content online is a key aspect of avoiding scams, and users now have the power to spot fraudulent correspondence with the help of a next-gen scam detector powered by AI and Bitdefender technologies. Whether you’re worried about the legitimacy of an email, QR code or messages you receive on social media, Bitdefender Scamio can give you a verdict in seconds.

Scamio is free to use and can be accessed on any device or operating system through Facebook Messenger or your web browser.

4. Use a VPN to enhance you privacy

As privacy concerns of users continue to escalate in the digital era, a VPN becomes a powerful tool to boost your online security and privacy. A VPN encrypts your traffic and routes it through a private server that shrouds your personal data and browsing from internet snoops, which may include your internet service provider, government agencies and cybercriminals.

A trustworthy VPN can bring your security and privacy to the next level, whether at home or on the go, by allowing you to browse anonymously, conduct banking transactions and even prevent online profiling with the help of ad-blocker and anti-tracker technologies.

Bitdefender VPN can protect your privacy and enhance your online browsing experience by cloaking your IP address and stopping internet snoops from seeing your personal information when you connect to unsafe networks.  We have a strict ‘no traffic logs’ policy and give you much-needed anonymity with blazing-fast speeds for all of the devices in your household.

5. Establish a data breach protection plan and begin monitoring your digital footprint

The record of all your online interactions, including the websites you visit, correspondence, and all the information you willingly or unwittingly submit online can be used to track you, affect your online reputation or be exploited by cybercriminals to defraud or impersonate your online.

Data breaches are also among the most immediate risks that individuals with extensive digital footprints may experience. As such, getting know the extent of your online data, limiting the amount of information and knowing what to do in the wake of a data breach are key in blocking security risks and protecting the digital you against identity thieves.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection allows you to keep track of your digital footprint, including personal information such as your name, phone numbers, email addresses and URLs linked to your identity. Easily discover what the internet knows about you and find out what type of information was exposed in data breaches and leaks. With 24/7 dark web monitoring, you can easily stay on top of the latest breaches and privacy threats, and immediately close down any weak points such as changing passwords, enabling 2FA or deleting compromised accounts.

The digital identity protection tool also monitors all major social media platforms for impersonation attempts that threaten your online reputation and the safety of your family, friends and followers.