For
many, the internet is both a blessing and a curse. This is because it can be
used to enhance and transform your life, but it can also be intrusive in
several ways. Therefore, it’s crucial that if you are going to use the
internet, you become more conversant when it comes to best practices. By doing
so, you should find that you’re far more secure when online for any given
purpose. On that note, here are top tips for staying safe online that should go
a long way.
Understand What Cyberthreats Are
In order to protect yourself online, you’ve got to know what exactly you’re protecting yourself from and why. This may require that you show a little more interest and research a range of cyber threats. Phishing attacks are one, for instance, which is when hackers use deceptive links as a means of downloading malicious malware on your device and stealing your information.
Aside
from phishing, there’s also cross-site scripting, the SQL Injection attack, and
Denial-of-service to mention a few.
Don’t Store Sensitive Information
If
you tend to keep highly sensitive information stored in your email or online, you
should be finding ways to safeguard it. The last thing you want is to find that
your account has been broken into and your details are then used for identity
theft or other criminal activities. Here are a few ways that you can protect your information online.
- Don’t Overshare: Although it’s great to
be social online, try and refrain from sharing too much information, especially
on social media platforms. Sensitive information can refer to your date of
birth, your mother’s maiden name, or your pets name. If possible, remove any
traces of such information just to be on the safe side.
- Avoid Responding to
Requests:
Another tip would be to avoid responding to strange requests. This could be someone
asking you for personal or account information online or via the telephone.
Banks, charities and government organizations can all be imitated, so try and
verify before interacting or sharing anything.
Use a VPN
If you’ve never heard of a VPN before, it’s essentially a virtual private network that gives you the privacy you need when you’re using a public network. If, for instance, you’re at the library working for the day and using their network, you may want to use a VPN as an added layer of security. Having said that, shop around for the best VPN out there as there are so many that you can choose from.
There are various VPN’s available in the market which you can use to keep your privacy safe while surfing the internet. I personally use NordVPN as my VPN it provides me with the best security over the internet, you can also give it try and check for yourself. You can opt for the NordVPN trial to make sure that it’s best for you.
Protect Your Passwords
As
tempting as it may be to use the same password across all of your accounts, it
isn’t a wise decision to make. This is because if someone can access your
password, then they have access to sensitive information across all of your
platforms.
Safeguard It at All Times: To protect your passwords, avoid storing them in
places people have access to. If you write it in your notes and your devices
are hacked, then said hackers would have access to your information. Write it
down in a notebook that is tucked safely away instead.
Change it Often: As you likely already
know, you also should make an effort to change your password often so that the
likelihood of the wrong person getting access to your accounts drastically
reduces. When choosing a password, stick to ones that would be almost
impossible to guess because they have a range of capital letters, numbers, and
symbols.
Don’t Open Strange Emails
As
mentioned above, phishing has become prevalent online. For this reason, to
protect yourself online, try and avoid strange emails as well as clicking on
links that you don’t recognize. Don’t be deceived by a catchy headline or an
incentive as it could be put together by a hacker.
Back up Your Storage
Aside
from the mentioned, backing up your storage space prepares you for the event
that you are hacked and your data is compromised. There are so many ways you
can back your data up which includes storing it on the cloud. You can also go
the traditional route of storing it in a hard drive if you’d prefer to.
Stay Up-to-Date
Software
updates aren’t suggested just for the fun of it. When you don’t update your
software, you make yourself vulnerable to threats and attacks online. So,
whenever you’re prompted to perform a software update, make sure that you do.
Even if you aren’t prompted, you can check manually to ensure you’re up to
speed. This, in addition to all of the other suggestions, should ensure you’re
safer online.
