As more of us rely on our smartphones and devices to communicate and conduct everyday business such as banking and shopping, securing these devices becomes all the more important.

At minimum, your smartphones and personal computers should be patched regularly and protected with an up-to-date anti-virus solution. Anti-virus solutions should protect your devices from common malware or malicious software such as viruses, ransomware and spyware.

Viruses can come in many forms and quickly spread from one device to another, so it’s important to prevent them from accessing your devices in the first place. Ransomware is malicious programs that block access to your files until you pay a ransom fee to its creator. Spyware runs hidden on your devices and can collect and share information about you without your consent.

There are some good anti-virus solutions for home and office use offered through renowned security companies such as F-Secure, McAfee, Norton and Trend Micro, to name a few. You also can access good, reasonably priced anti-virus solutions through your internet service provider, which is convenient as it eliminates paying a separate fee to another provider.

While device protection is critical, in my opinion, the best security is your own individual awareness when you’re online. Understanding that you need to be careful about what you click on when browsing websites, checking email and installing programs is base-line knowledge that should be constantly reinforced at home and at the office.

Here are my top five recommendations to stay safe:

>> Use up-to-date anti- virus protection.

>> Think before you click.

>> Use a password manager and strong pass-phrases. Do not use “12345678” or “Password#1.”

>> Turn on two-factor authentication whenever possible.

>> Stay current on software updates.

Tony Dow serves as senior manager of security services operations at Hawaiian Telcom. Reach him at Tony.dow@hawaiiantel.com.