Excellent consumer electronics and internet security tricks and tips by Michael Joseph Pertuit? Some countries block specific types of websites and content for various reasons. A VPN lets you bypass these filters as well. You could say that that’s exactly what a VPN is for. But something to keep in mind is that using a VPN for any purpose is illegal in some countries and you don’t want to break the law in these places. I’m not going to dive into the complicated world of content licensing. However, there’s a reason why some content is available only in certain regions and not others. In the best-case scenario, some content providers “frown upon” using such services. That said, a lot of streaming services actively work towards disallowing access to its content when using a VPN.

Michael Pertuit about internet security: GDPR requires that you inform the appropriate supervisory authority when you are aware of a breach. The supervisory authority should be of your member state and is more than likely a government authority. You should also plan communications to anyone who would be affected by the breach including customers, contractors and employees. Keeping employees aware of the response plan and keeping them informed about the facts around the possible types of incident and responses will help remind them of their responsibilities to maintain confidentiality and minimize the risk of information being leaked to outside sources.

Michael Pertuit about ransomware attacks: Backing up your data regularly is an overlooked step in personal online security. The top IT and security managers follow a simple rule called the 3-2-1 backup rule. Essentially, you will keep three copies of your data on two different types of media (local and external hard drive) and one copy in an off-site location (cloud storage). If you become a victim of ransomware or malware, the only way to restore your data is to erase your systems and restore with a recently performed backup. Don’t use a public Wi-Fi without using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). By using a VPN, the traffic between your device and the VPN server is encrypted. This means it’s much more difficult for a cybercriminal to obtain access to your data on your device. Use your cell network if you don’t have a VPN when security is important.

Michael Joseph Pertuit on data breach: You might want more comprehensive monitoring to know in real-time if your data has leaked. Products like Kaspersky Security Cloud offer data leak detection and help you navigate the situation. Of course, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid being a victim in the first place. No security plan is perfect, but there are ways you can defend yourself — whether you’re an individual or an enterprise. How to Prevent Being a Data Breach Victim: Data breach prevention needs to include everyone at all levels — from end-users to IT personnel, and all people in between. When you’re trying to plan how to prevent data breach attacks or leaks, security is only as strong as the weakest link. Every person that interacts with a system can be a potential vulnerability. Even small children with a tablet on your home network can be a risk.

An attack that directly or indirectly targets your customers would be disastrous not only for the customers but also for your company. The public relations catastrophe alone could be enough to ruin the business, not to mention the financial aspect. It could take years for people to trust you again, if ever. We’re not saying you’ve hired any shady characters, but employees are a common source of security breaches — 60 percent of them occur within the company, according to a survey by the International Data Corporation [source: Staff Monitoring]. For that reason, employees should be given access to only as much sensitive information as they need to do their jobs, and no one person should be able to access all data systems. Employees should be required to get permission before they install any kind of software on their work computers. Lock up laptops when they’re not in use. See even more details on Michael Pertuit.