In 2025, “cybersecurity” isn’t a separate department—it’s part of everyone’s job. This is especially true in Europe, where laws like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and NIS2 put a heavy legal responsibility on companies to protect data.
When a recruitment agency in Europe places you in any tech role, from junior developer to project manager, they are trusting you to be a “human firewall.”
Here are 5 essential practices you must follow.
1. Master Your Passwords & MFA
This is the front door. Don’t leave it open.
Password Manager: Stop using MyPassword123!. You are a tech professional. Use a password manager (like Bitwarden, 1Password, or your browser’s built-in) to generate and store long, unique passwords for every single service.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): If MFA is offered, use it. A stolen password is useless to a hacker if they don’t also have your phone or security key. This is the single most effective way to secure an account.
2. Spot Phishing Like a Pro
You are the last line of defense against the most common attack.
The “Urgency” Trap: Hackers use fake urgency. “Your account will be suspended,” “Urgent invoice payment required.” Be suspicious.
Check the Sender: Look at the full email address, not just the name. microsft-support@login-portal.com is not Microsoft.
Hover Before You Click: Hover your mouse over any link to see the actual destination URL in the corner of your browser. If it looks weird, don’t click it.
3. Secure Your Workstation (Physically and Digitally)
Your company laptop is a “golden key” holding company secrets.
Lock Your Screen: Every time you get up from your desk—for coffee, for lunch—hit Win + L (Windows) or Ctrl + Cmd + Q (Mac). It should be a muscle memory. An unlocked, unattended laptop is a critical vulnerability.
Keep it Updated: Run those software updates. They contain critical patches for security holes.
Use Encryption: Your hard drive should be encrypted (BitLocker on Windows, FileVault on Mac). If your laptop is stolen, the thief gets a brick, not your data.
4. Understand Your Role in GDPR
If you work with jobs in the EU, you work with GDPR. It’s the law.
PII is Lava: Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data that can identify a person (email, name, IP address). Treat it like radioactive waste.
Anonymize & Minimize: Do you really need that user’s email address for your test? No. Anonymize your test data. Never log PII in plain text. Never export a user list to your local machine.
“Need to Know”: Only access the data you absolutely need to do your job.
5. Be Skeptical of Dependencies
This is for the developers. Your “supply chain” (the code you import) is a huge attack vector.
Don’t Install Random Packages: Before you npm install a cool new library, check it. Is it maintained? Does it have a lot of users?
Audit Your Code: Regularly run npm audit fix or pip check to find known vulnerabilities in the packages you’re already using.
Be Wary of “Typo-squatting”: Hackers publish malicious packages named react-scrpt hoping you’ll misspell react-scripts.
Your staffing agency get-talent.eu in the EU found you because you’re a great tech professional. These practices prove you’re a safe one, too.
