The good part about the Internet is we can stay connected with our long lost friends, our remote relatives and even people we don’t know. We are truly a fortunate generation to have been born in the times of the Internet unlike the baby boomers generation. Well, just like every other good thing in the world, the Internet also comes with a flipside to it. The Internet isn’t all fun and games, along with the Internet comes the potential of hacks, scams, cybercrimes, cyberbullying, malware and many other threats that one should be wary of. Here are the 5 simple steps to stay safe online.
Don’t Share Personal Information
First and the foremost thing would be to not share your personal information on the internet with random people. If someone of authority requires your information, make sure you verify their identity and credentials before sharing your information. Your personal information in the wrong hands can be misused. In fact, your personal information from social media can be misused by hackers to figure out your passwords. Hence, it is better that you keep information such as your date of birth, mother’s maiden name etc private.
Keep Privacy Settings On
It is extremely important to keep your privacy settings active at all times. For social media sites like Facebook, you can now avail the option of locking your profile to random visitors and people whom you don’t know. They can see your posts and pictures only after you have added them as your friends. There are other ways to enhance your privacy settings such as by using a firewall, by practising safe surfing. Always keep your social media accounts private so that random people can’t misuse your pictures and personal data.
Safe Browsing
Blocking pop-ups and using ad blockers go a long way in helping you keep guarded from the hackers. If you haven’t already then, make sure you activate the ‘do not track’ in your browser. This option helps you to freely browse the Internet without worrying if your browsing data is constantly being monitored. Moreover, make sure to erase your cache data and also remove the cookies from constantly collecting your data. Make a habit of clearing your cache and cookies from time to time to have a safe browsing experience.
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Use VPN
Anyone and everyone on the Internet should use a VPN while browsing. Using VPN secures your browsing history while using a public Wi-fi. We might not be so mindful all the time, so it's better that we use VPN especially when we are browsing through some other public network. VPN’s are easy to use and using it only adds more security to your virtual identity and information. A VPN can be used on your desktop as well as on your Android mobile phone. All you have to do is connect to the VPN before opening the Google Chrome window. Yes, it’s that easy to use!
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Strong Password
Making the Internet a safe place ought to be a priority in this highly digitized world. Teenagers and young adults are more vulnerable to cyberbullying, cyberstalking and other forms of cybercrimes. Hence, it becomes imperative that we provide adequate guidance and assistance to them. Using a strong password is one of the easiest ways to keep hackers from accessing your account. A strong password usually includes special characters and numeric characters. Make sure you make a password which has more than ten characters.
If you wish to share any of your favourite tips on how to stay safe online, do let us know by commenting on our Facebook and Instagram page.
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