A New Hampshire candidate for public office who was only 19 years old learned the hard way about the significance of adhering to online safety guidelines. Seacoast Online reported that his detractors dug out provocative photos and references to drug usage in his social media posts. His political career ended as quickly as it had begun. Unfortunately, he isn’t the only one whose carelessness online has put them in danger; many individuals have fallen victim to online frauds, identity theft, and even physical assault after meeting someone they thought they knew in real life. These threats are evolving and expanding rapidly as more people utilize mobile devices to access the Internet.
The prevalence of applications in people’s everyday online lives has not altered the fundamental guidelines for being safe on the Internet. Unfortunately, identity thieves are constantly on the hunt for new ways to steal money from people’s bank accounts and credit cards.
In addition to the risks associated with being exposed to potentially harmful content, there is also the risk of becoming entangled with people you would prefer to avoid if you were to make the mistake of engaging in unsafe browsing practices, such as posting embarrassing comments or photos of yourself online that are then impossible to remove.
To help you stay out of trouble when surfing the web, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten safety guidelines to follow (and offline).
1. Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited
The marital status and residential location of a job candidate are not relevant to the needs of a business or its clientele. What they really need is information about your qualifications and professional experience, as well as a means of getting in touch with you. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing such information with a random person, then you shouldn’t share it with millions of others online.
2. Keep Your Privacy Settings On
Both marketers and cybercriminals are interested in your personal details. Both have a lot to learn from your online habits, including what you look at and how often you use social media. But your data is yours to control. Lifehacker notes that privacy controls are accessible in most web browsers and mobile operating systems. Settings to protect your privacy are readily available on major websites like Facebook as well. Companies desire your personal information for its marketing worth, therefore they may make these options (deliberately) difficult to uncover. Activate and maintain these privacy settings for maximum protection.
3. Practice Safe Browsing
You wouldn’t knowingly go through a bad area, so there’s no need to seek out similar environments in cyberspace. Shocking or otherwise inappropriate material is often used by cybercriminals to lure victims. They are well-aware that people’s guards can be temporarily lowered when they are actively seeking out potentially dangerous material. A thoughtless click on the demimonde of the Internet might result in the exposure of sensitive information or the infection of your device with malware. By holding back, you offer the hackers no opportunity at all.
4. Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure. Use a Secure VPN Connection
Using a public Wi-Fi network, for instance, to access the internet is risky since you cannot ensure that it is secure, as pointed out by PCMag. Experts in corporate cybersecurity are concerned about “endpoints,” or the points at which an internal network communicates with the wider Internet. Your local Internet connection is the weak link in your security. Verify the safety of your device and postpone giving sensitive information like your bank account number to a more convenient moment or after connecting to a secure Wi-Fi network.
Using a virtual private network (VPN) is a great way to increase your online security (virtual private network). Using a virtual private network, or VPN, you may ensure that all data sent and received between your device and a server on the Internet remains private and inaccessible to any third parties.
5. Be Careful What You Download
Malware, or software or apps that carry malware or attempt to steal information, is a prominent target for hackers. This spyware may masquerade as any kind of program, including games, traffic apps, and weather forecasters. Do not install software from unreliable sources or that appear dubious, as this goes against PCWorld’s advice.
6. Choose Strong Passwords
One of the most vulnerable parts of the Internet’s security architecture is passwords, yet there is presently no method to get around this. However, the majority of commonly used passwords (such “password” and “123456”) are simple to guess by hackers. Choose lengthy, complex passwords that would be challenging for hackers to guess. To avoid forgetting several passwords, you may choose to use password management software. Passwords that are both unique and complicated, with at least 15 characters including a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, are considered to be very secure.
7. Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites
In order to complete any kind of online transaction, you will inevitably be asked for financial information such as a credit card number or bank account details. Don’t give it out to anyone online unless they have a secure connection and encryption. According to Boston University, you may tell a secure website from an insecure one by checking for a URL that begins with https: (the S stands for secure) rather than just http: A padlock icon may appear next to the address bar to indicate that you are in a secure environment.
8. Be Careful What You Post
In New Hampshire, a teenage candidate learned the hard way that there is no delete key on the Internet. Even if you delete a comment or image from one platform (like Twitter), other users may have already saved versions elsewhere. You can’t erase that awkward party selfie you took or “take back” a comment you afterwards regretted. If you wouldn’t want your mother or a potential employer to see it, it’s probably not appropriate to post it online.
9. Be Careful Who You Meet Online
You can’t assume that everyone you meet online is who they say they are. Actually, it’s possible they don’t even exist. Hackers often utilize false social network identities to gain the trust of unsuspecting Internet users and steal their personal information, as reported by InfoWorld. Always use the same level of caution and common sense in your online interactions as you would in person.
10. Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date
While there is no perfect security system, up-to-date anti-virus and firewall software will protect your system from the vast majority of viruses. Maintain a fully updated operating system and all of the software you use. You can’t have enough security, and they’re essential to that.
Remembering these 10 guidelines for safe Internet use can help you avoid many of the dangers that can be encountered by those who are negligent when surfing the web.