Am I Paranoid About Online Security?

Derick St-Hilaire January 15, 2020

I normally don’t have much trouble choosing a New Year’s Resolution, but this year has been tough. I just couldn’t think of something really important that I wanted to commit to. Well, a few days ago, I thought I’d found the BEST resolution. I was so excited that I called up my girlfriend and told her about my profound discovery: this year, I’m going to be much more secure online.

Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, because my girlfriend said the exact same thing: “What’s so special about that, Derick? Don’t you work for a company that creates cyber security solutions?”

From Online Security Zero to Online Security Hero

Yes, I do. But that doesn’t mean online security has been a top priority for me at home (at work is a different story, we are all very secure around here!). That has all changed, because since making my resolution I have been SUPER ULTRA MEGA secure when I’m at home or surfing at a coffee shop, store, or anywhere else:

When an online account asks me to create a 12-character password, I create a 30-character passphrase.
I never store passwords in my browser anymore.
I use 2FA for everything (of course, I use Devolutions Authenticator — I love the push notifications).
I’ve made some important security improvements to my home network.
I am now a VPN addict and refuse to go online without an encrypted tunnel to protect me.
I have setup the 4 types of security tools that everyone should be using: firewall, antivirus software, anti-spyware software, and password management software.

Do I sound paranoid? That’s what my girlfriend and her family is starting to think. They’re afraid that one of these days I won’t have a conversation with them without first doing a retina scan to confirm their true identity.

Scary Statistics

But you know what? Maybe being paranoid about online security is a good thing these days. Here are just some of the scary statistics:

Email is responsible for distributing 92% of all malware. [Source]
Every 14 seconds there is a new ransomware attack, which will cost victims $20 billion by 2021. [Source]
By 2023, cybercriminals will steal an estimated 33 billion records. [Source]

If you want even more statistics (but be warned, you may never want go online again!).

What Do You Think?

So, do you think I’m paranoid? Or am I just well prepared? Tell me what you think, and also please share any additional tips or stories so that I can convince my girlfriend that I’m not crazy or alone in this situation.