Internet Safety Tips

Internet safety tips ought to be followed by each of us regardless of our age and experience. In the present world, the advent of new technologies have made our life much smoother but also has increased the risk of privacy leakage and cyber harm. The number of hackers has increased two folds and this is one good reason to understand the fundamentals of good internet usage.

As they say, prevention is better than cure. Once our details fall into the wrong hands, then it might be too late to react and can damage us mentally and in some cases even physically. There are a lot of cases involving money losses ranging from individuals to even high-end organizations. To maintain a healthy internet experience, we must follow some key internet security tips.

Common Internet Tips to Follow for Everyday Use

Repeatedly, you might hear these common internet security tips. The reason we stress these tips again is that the safety of your personal information begins with the following basics.

• Never ever disclose your passwords to anyone. Be it your close friends or work colleagues.
• Always use a difficult combo for the password. The reason that most passwords get hacked is that simple, easy to guess words are used.
• Do not open emails that appear suspicious or click links to suspicious sites. If the link itself looks weird, avoid it all cost.
• Your private photos or videos should be well maintained. Leakage of personal information from your computer or mobile can be a total disaster.
• Some of the sites will already be enlisted as dangerous by your computer browser or the antivirus. Avoid these to the maximum extent.
• Avoid clicking on ads that look too convincing. You can end up installing adware on your computer from various unknown sites.
• Always keep your anti-malware or antivirus programs up to date. Your internet safety is maximised through this as new viruses are created each day.
• Fraudulent accounts are there in plenty on various social media sites. These fraudsters can steal your passwords and personal information before you know it. Stay away from fake accounts as much as you can.
• Your firewall and spyware software is also important. Keep them updated regularly as well.

These tips might appear to look worthless for many of us out there. But the bitter truth is, the majority of the internet users end up falling prey because they don't follow these basic internet security tips.

Always purchase from sites that are trustworthy.

If you are a regular user of online shopping websites, then this internet security tip might just be for you. Ensure that you always shop on sites such as eBay, Amazon, etc. because these sites are trusted. During the check out time, make sure that it is SSL security certified. Also, use a trusted mode of payment such as PayPal which provides more internet safety compared to other modes of payment. Use virtual keyboards when typing in ATM pins or other credentials especially when you are in a public internet cafeteria.

Many bogus websites which tend to grab our attention with super cool offers, in fact, steal all our personal information leaving us at their mercy. If you are aware of this internet security tip, online shopping will always be a pleasant experience for you.

Data Shredding and Wiping of Your Data

Even if you delete your personal files in the computer or your mobile phone, you are still prone to hackers. Around the globe, different confidential data are leaked despite the fact them being deleted. The best way to ensure your internet safety is to shred your files or wipe the data off your hard disk. These two methods disable the hacker's ability to gain access as they no longer will exist anywhere on your hard disk.

There are also many softwares available that can securely wipe your hard drive's free space many times. The more times they wipe, safer your computer and personal information are.

Data shredding is one such internet security tip that is not followed even today.

Scam Calls/Fake Calls

Hackers find various methods to exploit us in every way possible. Another tip to keep in mind is to avoid fake calls. The hackers try to gain your personal information using reasons such as bank transactions, computer repairing, internet repairing and so on. Beware of these hackers as they can create a great deal of damage once your internet safety shield is evaded.

None of the genuine companies would want your personal credentials to repair your computer or for any other service. Everything should be dealt with face to face rather than through calls. Also, another method is by asking you to press various combinations of keys on your phone. The moment you fall for it, they would have got enough details to empty out all your bank balances!

Lock up all your tech devices to avoid unwanted access.

Whether it be your laptop or your mobile phone, all your devices should be password protected. Your device can end up in the wrong hands and that would be enough to gain access to your personal information.

It is also advisable to lock all your apps with a strong passcode too since it would be tougher for the hackers or perpetrators to access your info. The stronger your passwords, your privacy will be secure. Locking up of your devices is an important internet security tip to be followed by anyone who possesses an electronic gadget.

Avoid exploration of unwanted sites.

There are a plethora of sites known for malicious content that can damage your computer or expose all your personal information. Web browsers usually warn you of these websites that they find suspicious. A good idea is to avoid all these sites so that your internet safety is not compromised.

Other than that, there are sites in the dark web. Now the dark web is a place where even the hackers can get lost! This web place consists of a huge number of hackers and killers with whom you can never think of dealing with. Drugs, child pornography, and criminal activities are very common here. Misuse of the dark web can put you in an unimaginable situation! So be sure to stay away from all these and protect your privacy.

Do not send unwanted texts or files that can cause you trouble.

The internet is a huge place beyond measure. We never know about the destinations our files and folders reach after being sent out. Just to stay on the safer side, do not send or upload confidential files without properly knowing who your recipient is.

Always use your common sense and avoid posting sentimental stuff that can trigger other people and in turn cause you trouble. This internet security tip will be useful to people who are really active in social media platforms.

To round it all up, we need to understand the power of the internet. The more careful we are, chances of getting hacked are dim. Please don't ever think that you will never be anyone's target. It is our duty to ward off such threats by following strictly these internet security tips.