Nowadays, Digital Technologies powered by the world wide web, open a world of opportunities, a realm of information, a way to connect and a platform to express – we call it “being online”.
Providing people of all ages with access to learn, discover, exchange and create is quite fascinating and amazing, isn’t it? But what about cyber-safety?
You might be very cautious while being online, you might know what to do or not to do while surfing the internet but sometimes you might end up facing certain problems; same goes for our little ones, our youngsters who might also find themselves, subjects to risks and are more prone to end up victims of cyber misuse.
The numbers of users increase by the minute and risks are changing and growing rapidly; hackers, scammers, cyberbullies and online predators are still on the lookout for personal bank information, embarrassing photos, videos or even comments, and sometimes getting mixed up with people you met online might not be such a good idea as well.
To prevent this, we aim to raise awareness for a better and safer internet, playing our part in promoting the use of digital technology safely, respectfully and much more responsibly, connecting people together and inspiring positive change.
Here are 10 tips to help out
1- Keep personal information safe
Don’t hand out personal information related to your bank account or even addresses, full names and phone numbers.
- Keep Your Privacy Settings On
Take charge of the information you are sharing online and always enable your privacy safeguards by monitoring and controlling who has access and who can see your online activity. Sometimes these settings are hard to find for a reason, but make sure you search for them thoroughly and enable them.
You’ll thank us later.
- Browse Safely & Responsibly
Avoid careless online browsing that might expose personal data or even infect your device with malware, cybercriminals know how to tempt you, just be cautious and responsible while surfing the online web and never get drifted by suspicious content.
- Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure.
While going online in public, use a secure Wi-fi connection when exchanging personal information or use a secure VPN connection, making sure that no one can gain access or monitor your personal data.
- Know What You Download
Don’t download apps that look suspicious or any given program for that matter from any suspicious website. Think of it this way, if you think about it twice, just don’t do it or seek a safer source of download.
- Use Strong Passwords
Try to come up with complex passwords, up to 15 characters, mixing letters, numbers and special characters so that cybercriminals won’t guess them easily, and maybe you would want to write them down somewhere, so you don’t forget them.
- Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites Only
Make sure to make online purchases from secure and encrypted websites, as you need to provide credit card or bank account information, it’s important to keep your info secure as well.
- Be Careful What You Post
Any piece of information from comment, image or video you post online may stay online, you might not get the chance of deleting it permanently, so avoid posting comments you might regret, or photos and videos that may be subject to blackmail. Fight that online urge :p
- Be Careful Who You Meet Online
Sometimes people online are not who they claim to be, you might get mixed up with the wrong crowd, be cautious and safe while cyber-socializing
- Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date
Always install Antivirus updates for they provide a vital layer of security, removing malware and ridding you of most unwanted threats.
While you can learn more about each tip provided, make sure you do it responsibly.
This 2020 Safer Internet Day, be Cyber-Safe.
