Digital security best practices: protect your data every day

Digital security best practices: protect your data every day

Our personal and professional lives are increasingly connected: remote work, cloud services, social networks, banking apps, digital contracts, corporate systems, mobile devices and IoT. This connectivity brings comfort and productivity, but it also expands the attack surface for scams, data breaches and fraud.

Digital security is no longer “just an IT topic”. It is a shared responsibility between individuals, organisations and technology providers. The good news is that many threats can be mitigated with simple, consistent best practices applied on a daily basis.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What digital security means in practice;
• Essential best practices for everyone;
• Specific precautions for organisations and teams;
• The relationship between security, privacy and data protection laws (such as Brazil’s LGPD, the EU’s GDPR or local regulations);
• A checklist you can put into practice in your routine.

1. What is digital security in practice?

Digital security is the set of technical and behavioural measures used to protect:

• Confidentiality – making sure only authorised people can access a given piece of data;
• Integrity – preventing unauthorised or accidental changes to information;
• Availability – keeping systems and data accessible to those who need them, when they need them.

This applies to everything: e-mails, files, applications, networks, devices, databases, internal systems and cloud services. Digital security is not a “product” – it is a combination of technology, processes and behaviour.

2. Best practices for accounts and passwords

A large share of incidents begin with weak or reused credentials. Protecting accounts is therefore one of the first priorities.

2.1 Use strong, unique passwords

Good password practices:

• Avoid obvious passwords, such as birthdays, relatives’ names, car registration plates or simple sequences;
• Prefer long passwords (12+ characters) combining letters, numbers and symbols;
• Use different passwords for critical services (e-mail, banking, social media, corporate systems). One compromised password must not open every door;
• Consider using passphrases that are easy to remember and hard to guess, such as a combination of random words.

2.2 Use a password manager

Instead of trying to memorise dozens of passwords, use a password manager. It allows you to:

• Store passwords with strong encryption;
• Generate complex passwords automatically;
• Avoid writing them down on paper, spreadsheets or unsecured notes.

The only password you really need to remember is the master password for the manager – and that one should be very strong.

2.3 Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of protection. Besides your password, you need:

• A temporary code from an authenticator app;
• An approval notification on another device;
• A physical security key (in more critical environments).

Even if your password is stolen, attackers will struggle to access your account without the second factor.

2.4 Be careful with password recovery

“Forgotten password” processes can be abused by scammers. Best practices:

• Avoid easy security questions (such as “mother’s maiden name” or “favourite team”);
• Never share codes received by SMS or e-mail with anyone;
• Be suspicious of people who ask “just for the confirmation code” to solve an issue.

3. Keep devices and systems up to date

Many attacks exploit vulnerabilities that are already known and have patches available. When updates are not applied, the door remains open.

Best practices:

• Enable automatic updates whenever possible (operating systems, browsers, applications);
• Avoid using old versions of systems that no longer receive security patches;
• Install software only from trusted sources (official stores or verified vendors);
• Remove programmes you no longer use – less software means a smaller attack surface.

In corporate environments, the IT team should have a structured patch management process for servers, workstations, mobile devices and cloud services.

4. Safe browsing and scam prevention

Many attacks do not start with malicious code, but with social engineering – when someone tricks the user into performing the risky action themselves.

4.1 Beware of phishing (fake e-mails and messages)

Phishing involves sending messages that imitate legitimate companies in order to steal passwords, data or money.

Watch out for:

• Links that lead to pages similar to official ones, but with strange addresses;
• Messages with a strong sense of urgency (“your account will be blocked”, “last warning”);
• Requests for sensitive data confirmation via e-mail, SMS or messaging apps;
• Unexpected attachments, especially executable or compressed files.

When in doubt, don’t click: navigate to the website by typing the address directly into your browser or contact the company through official channels.

4.2 Check addresses and certificates

Before entering sensitive data (such as passwords or payment details):

• Confirm that the address starts with https:// and that there is a secure connection padlock;
• Check that the domain really belongs to the organisation (beware of swapped letters or similar domains);
• Avoid accessing sensitive sites via links sent by third parties.

4.3 Download files carefully

Even seemingly harmless files can carry threats. Best practices:

• Avoid downloading files from unknown websites or unofficial repositories;
• Be wary of documents that ask you to “enable macros” or grant special permissions;
• Use security solutions (antivirus/EDR) and keep them up to date.

5. Protect your data with backups and encryption

Incidents such as ransomware, accidental errors and hardware failures can cause data loss. In addition, if devices are stolen, files may be accessed by third parties.

5.1 Perform regular backups

Good backup practices:

• Perform regular backups of important data (documents, photos, projects, databases);
• Store copies in different locations (for example, cloud + external media);
• Test restoration periodically to ensure backups actually work;
• In organisations, define clear retention and responsibility policies.

5.2 Use encryption on devices and sensitive files

Encryption protects content even if someone gains physical access to the device or file.

• Enable disk encryption on laptops, desktops and mobile devices whenever possible;
• Consider protecting specific files or folders with additional encryption;
• In corporate environments, use managed solutions for disk and volume encryption, with policies and keys controlled by IT.

Encryption does not replace backups, but it greatly increases protection in cases of theft, loss or improper disposal of devices.

6. Be careful with Wi-Fi networks and remote work

Connecting to any available network may be tempting, but it comes with risks.

6.1 Avoid public Wi-Fi for sensitive activities

When using Wi-Fi in airports, cafés, hotels and public spaces:

• Avoid accessing online banking, corporate systems or highly sensitive information;
• Prefer connections with a password and authentication;
• Be suspicious of networks with very generic names (“Free Wi-Fi”, “Free Airport WiFi”).

6.2 Use a VPN for access to corporate resources

Organisations should provide a VPN (Virtual Private Network) so that employees can access internal systems through an encrypted channel, even on untrusted networks.

Best practices:

• Enable the VPN whenever you access company systems outside the corporate network;
• Configure the VPN with modern protocols and strong encryption;
• Restrict access to only the necessary resources (principle of least privilege).

7. Organisation-specific best practices

Beyond individual measures, organisations need to embed digital security into their management practices.

7.1 Define clear security policies

Policies help align expectations and guide behaviour. Examples include:

• Acceptable use policy for IT resources (corporate e-mail, internet, devices);
• Password and authentication policy (requirements, renewal, mandatory MFA);
• Information classification and handling policy (public, internal, confidential, restricted);
• Policy for personal devices (BYOD), where applicable;
• Security policy for remote work.

7.2 Apply the principle of least privilege

Not everyone needs access to everything. The principle of least privilege recommends granting only the permissions strictly necessary for each person to perform their role.

• Restrict access to systems, folders and sensitive data;
• Avoid shared generic accounts used by multiple people;
• Review access profiles periodically, especially when roles change or people leave the organisation;
• Use separate administrative accounts for critical tasks.

7.3 Monitor and log activities

Logs and audit trails are essential to:

• Investigate security incidents;
• Detect suspicious activities or attack patterns;
• Meet compliance requirements (such as data protection laws, sector regulations and ISO 27001).

Best practices include:

• Logging access to systems and sensitive data;
• Centralising logs in monitoring and correlation tools;
• Defining alerts for critical events (login failures, out-of-hours access, large data exports).

7.4 Train and raise awareness among teams

People are the first line of defence – and also the main target of social engineering attacks.

• Provide regular training on common scams, phishing, device usage and best practices;
• Adapt language to the audience: IT, sales, customer support, management, etc.;
• Establish channels to ask questions and report incidents without fear of unfair punishment.

8. Digital security, privacy and data protection laws

Digital security is directly linked to personal data protection. Data protection laws – such as Brazil’s LGPD, the EU’s GDPR and other local regulations – require organisations to adopt technical and organisational measures to protect data from unauthorised access and accidental or unlawful situations.

Sound digital security practices help to:

• Reduce the risk of personal data breaches;
• Avoid exposing sensitive information about customers, employees and partners;
• Support compliance and data governance programmes;
• Strengthen the trust of data subjects and regulators.

Privacy initiatives (such as data mapping, review of legal bases and retention policies) help identify where to focus security efforts, avoiding unnecessary data and unclear purposes that increase risk.

9. Practical checklist for digital security best practices

To help in practice, use this checklist as a guide (for individuals or organisations):

1. Accounts and passwords
   • Use of strong, unique passwords?
   • Password manager in use?
   • MFA enabled on critical accounts (e-mail, banking, company systems)?
2. Devices and software
   • Operating systems and applications up to date?
   • Antivirus/EDR and endpoint protection active?
   • Unnecessary programmes removed?
3. Browsing and e-mail
   • Care with suspicious links and attachments?
   • Checking HTTPS and domains when sending sensitive data?
   • Healthy scepticism towards urgent messages asking for data or codes?
4. Backups and encryption
   • Regular backups of important data?
   • Restoration tests carried out periodically?
   • Encryption enabled on devices and sensitive files?
5. Networks and remote work
   • Care with public Wi-Fi and unknown networks?
   • Use of VPN to access internal systems?
   • Home Wi-Fi with a strong password and modern encryption (WPA2/WPA3)?
6. Organisation and culture (companies)
   • Security policies documented and communicated?
   • Access controls aligned with the least-privilege principle?
   • Ongoing training and awareness campaigns?
   • Processes in place for incident response and communication with data subjects?

10. Conclusion: digital security as a habit, not a one-off event

Digital security is not something you “fix” with a single tool or a one-off training session. It is built day by day, through consistent habits, good decisions and smart use of technology.

For individuals, adopting sound password practices, keeping devices updated, watching out for scams and creating backups makes an enormous difference in reducing risk. For organisations, the combination of clear policies, technical controls, monitoring, training and governance is the path to protecting data, meeting legal obligations and maintaining the trust of customers and partners.

Extra tip: if your organisation is advancing in personal data governance and compliance with data protection laws (such as LGPD/GDPR), it’s worth integrating digital security best practices with platforms that help centralise records, consents, data subject requests and audit trails. This turns security into a visible pillar of trust – both internally and externally.