A large fraction of our time nowadays is dedicated online. Online presence and activity concerning work, personal banking, communication, trading and leisure must be 100% safe. The responsibility to be safe falls on us.
Annually, millions of consumers are victims of crimes online. As we transition into the digital era, muggers and robbers do crawl online as well. Careful thoughts and actions must be in place, as things are more valuable than money, as information and privacy.
Here are recommendations on how to actively stay safe online.
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1. Keep information to yourself
Lockdown your privacy settings and limit interaction to your inner circles, like close friends and family, are steps to being safe online. Refrain from posting sensitive information such as birthdays, maiden names, old and new addresses. Cyber hackers go through your profile in detail and acquire knowledge of possible password combinations and answers to password security reset tools.
The cloud can also provide a plethora of further information about you. Most companies nowadays use an AWS architecture diagram, to protect their cloud as well as that of their clients. It is a cloud management system that provides security and protection to your data. Be extra cautious to requests to connect with unknown people. There is no such thing as overly safe.
2. Shop with care
Be wary of inputting your payment details on dubious websites or payment gateways. Ensure that the online shopping platform uses secure technology and always check the “HTTPS” on the web address.
In addition, as a safety precaution, always look for a tiny padlock icon on the check-out page before proceeding with any transaction.
3. Regularly update your desktops and mobile devices
Viruses, online threats and malware easily penetrate outdated web browsers, security software and operating system. Be diligent enough to check on this or set automatic updates to apply fixes as it becomes available.
4. Phishing scams
Watch out for these modus operations. Often, they hide behind fraudulent websites that promise cash or gadget winnings by asking for your credit card, private account or login information. It is so easy to fall for these scams.
Never click on links, attachments or pop-ups that you are not familiar with. The best course of action is to forward alleged phishing emails to the proper local government authority.
5. Set strong passwords
A strong password is a password that has nothing to do with you or your persona. In addition, a safe and secure password contains at least eight characters in length with a mix of upper and lowercase letters, special characters and numbers.
6. Read the website's privacy policies
Reading this is frequently neglected online. It is complex and, most of the time, long and tedious, but going through it makes your presence online safer.
These private website policies usually discuss the nitty-gritty on how they protect the personal information they collect. The action step is to transact business somewhere else if a website does not have this policy.
7. Secure internet connection
Always be conscious about the information you are inputting on a public WIFI page. On the other hand, in the safety of your home, protect your home wireless network with a password and update it regularly.
Keep these internet safety tips in mind at all times. Unfortunately, there are a lot of dubious scams out there, lurking and out to get you.