Turn off your phone's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Hackers are religious about this. Keeping these features 'on' all the time makes it easy for strangers to slip into your phone. Hackers can see what networks you've connected to before, spoof them, and trick your phone into connecting to their devices.

Once connected, they can bombard your device with malware, steal data, or spy on you. So, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when you need them, and turn them off when you don't.

Use two-step authentication

Nowadays, a single password isn't enough. Many services offer two-step authentication, which is an extra layer of protection. When you log in from a new device, you'll get a text with a temporary code. Even if someone gets your password, they'd still need your phone too.

Create a smart password strategy

For sensitive sites like your email and bank, create long and unique passphrases. For everything else, use a password manager like LastPass or Password Safe that encrypts your passwords on your device.

This allows you to make each password different without having to remember them all. Remember to change your passwords more than once a year.

Use HTTPS on every website

Install the HTTPS Everywhere tool from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It encrypts the information your browser sends and receives. If you only see HTTP in the address bar, anyone can spy on your Internet session.

Bulk up your home Wi-Fi

When setting up your home Wi-Fi, always set a new password and don't use the default one. For the security encryption standard, choose WPA-2. Avoid WEP and WPA, as they have known flaws that can expose your password in seconds.

Don't hide your home Wi-Fi

If you hide your Wi-Fi's name (SSID), your devices are forced to 'actively scan' for it all the time. This makes your phone and laptop more susceptible to connecting to strangers' unsafe Wi-Fi networks.

"You're actually setting yourself back five years in terms of security."

Think twice before buying an Internet-connected device

Do you really need a "smart" fridge or oven? Tech companies are in a rush to put the Internet on everything, often prioritizing cool features over privacy and safety.

As a case in point, a foul-mouthed hacker hijacked a baby's monitor last year. You might be told things are secure when they're not.