It's the holiday season, and if you played your cards right and landed on the Nice list, soon you'll be unwrapping everything you put on your Christmas wishlist. The anticipation of getting your new laptop, phone, or tablet is undoubtedly in full force, but there are some things you should consider once it's finally here.
Once the device of your dreams is finally unwrapped and ready to set up, you’ll want to protect it from cybersecurity threats. So, you might want to invest the best VPN, some strong antivirus software, and a secure password manager.
But how do you pick the safest solutions without breaking the bank? In this guide, we’ll talk you through how to choose the best cybersecurity tools to protect your tech. Let’s dive in.
1. Get a VPN
If you want to protect your new device, a VPN is an essential tool, as it will encrypt your data to keep it hidden from cyber criminals or other third parties. At Tom’s Guide, we regularly test out a wide range of providers. Thankfully, our top three providers also have excellent VPN deals available:
How to pick a VPN to secure your device
If keeping to a strict budget is one of your New Year's Resolutions, you might be tempted to sign up for a free VPN to continue your money-saving streak. While there are some good free VPNs out there, many can actually do more harm than good to your cybersecurity, as some make money by selling customer data to third parties.
They also often come with restrictions e.g. a smaller number of servers or data limits, which means you won't be able to use them as freely as you might want to.
Instead, you’d be much better off choosing a reputable, premium VPN with a small monthly subscription cost that comes with security features that will protect your data, such as leak protection, malware blockers, and a kill switch.
2. Install an antivirus
With viruses becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s never been more important to install the best antivirus software on your device.
We’ve put all the biggest providers to the test and have come up with our top three recommendations to help you choose a safe solution.
How to pick an antivirus to secure your device
Antivirus companies claim their software will keep your device safe from all forms of malware. But be sure to pick a solution that’s been tried and tested by expert reviewers. It’s also important to choose one that fits your budget and offers protection for all the devices in your household.
Besides this, look out for other key features that will keep you safe from cyber threats, such as password protection, file encryption, virus removal, and identity protection. To find out more, take a look at our guide to choosing the best antivirus software.
3. Download a password manager
A password manager is an essential cybersecurity tool that allows you to save all your passwords and will fill them in automatically whenever you want to access any of your accounts.
The best password manager will allow you to have strong and unique passwords for each account that you’ll never have to remember, while also keeping your data safe.
We’ve tested out plenty of password managers and these are our top three recommendations:
How to choose a password manager to secure your device
When choosing a password manager, the most important factor is, of course, ensuring it offers robust security. So, be sure to choose one that’s been proven to keep passwords safe.
You’ll also want to pick one that will work across all your devices and that offers a cost-effective plan that your household can use.
