The COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of students to study remotely. If you’ve already taken classes remotely, this probably won’t be much of an issue. However, adapting to the new regime is a struggle for both students and educators. Whichever the case, you have to know that studying from a remote location comes with certain cybersecurity risks, just like any other online activity. There are many hackers out there looking to steal personal and sensitive information, so you need to protect yourself.Let’s explore the most important ways you can keep your privacy and data safe and secure.

Keep Your Devices Safe

One of the easiest ways for someone to steal your data is to get their hands on your devices. Whether that’s your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, it can be effortless to steal.So, make sure you don’t leave them unattended, especially if you live in a dorm. You probably have passwords for everything, so make sure they are strong. That way, if you lose a device or someone steals it, they would have trouble unlocking it.

You should also take advantage of those Find My Device services. Apple, Google, and Microsoft all provide remote device tracking services. They can even help you lock devices remotely and erase all data, thus ensuring your privacy stays intact.

Don’t Log into Your Accounts on Other People’s Devices

You can never know if someone’s device may have hidden malware, or if the user perhaps visits malicious websites. That’s why you should never log into your accounts on other people’s devices.Even if it’s a family member, you simply never know how safe their device is. It could have malware that records keystrokes, so that it could steal your usernames and passwords.That’s particularly alarming if you log into your banking account, for instance.

Backup All Your Learning Materials

Having backups of all your learning materials is a no-brainer. What if your laptop’s hard disk malfunctions and you lose all your data? What if someone steals your device, forcing you to wipe all data remotely?That’s why you must keep backups, preferably in the cloud. A reliable cloud storage solution will enable you to access your data anytime and anywhere.

Keep Your Antivirus Software Up to Date

It’s crucial to have antivirus software on all your devices and update them regularly. The latest security patches provide bug fixes and protect against various cybersecurity threats. Be sure to set automatic updates.Nearly all universities across the UK offer free access to certain antivirus software to their students. If you’re registered at any UK university, ask about the software and other online security tools they may have.

Avoid Wi-Fi Networks

Do you use a free Wi-Fi network whenever you get the chance? Don’t. That’s the easiest way for a savvy hacker to gain access to your data.

Freepublic Wi-Fi typically doesn’t use encryption, which means that anyone can see everything you do online. They can intercept data transmissions from everyone on the network, thus steal personal and sensitive data.Also, refrain from connecting to your friends’ home networks as well, because they too may be compromised. A single compromised device could open the gateway for hackers to access all devices on the network. Stick to your own data connections and protect yourself from accidental leaks.

Watch Out for Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are getting more sophisticated every year, so it’s vital to know how to spot them. The most paramount thing is not to click on email links from suspicious sources.The same goes for social media. If you get a message with a suspicious link, don’t click on it. Phishing links lead to malicious websites that can steal your usernames and passwords. They can also insert malware into your device and steal your data.

Hackers that target students or educators might imitate the letter design of your school. Additionally, the sender email addresses might also resemble the official ones. So, if your school or university contacts you and requires you to download a file or visit a link, double-check whether the sender is reliable.

Consider Getting a VPN

Now, this is a full-scale protection option for all your devices and data. If you use a trusted VPN on Windows, you’ll eliminate many potential cybersecurity risks.You won’t have to worry about any prying eyes because no one will even see you online. A VPN hides online activities even from ISPs (Internet Service Providers).

When you’re anonymous online, there’s no chance of any potential hacker targeting you.A VPN will also encrypt your online connection, even when you use free Wi-Fi. Pretty cool, right? Convenience and security. Win-win.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of having a VPN while remotely studying is bypassing geo-blocks. You can connect to a remote VPN server that virtually places you in an optimal geographical location.That’s perfect if you can’t access some learning materials in your country due to geo-restrictions. It’s also great when conducting online research.

What are you doing to protect your privacy and data while studying remotely? Do you have all these measures in place? Make sure you do so that you don’t become easy prey for vicious cybercriminals.