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7 Basic Internet Security Tips: How To Stay Safe Online

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Every other day, we hear about another large corporation that has had its customer data compromised. In many cases, the customers are not even notified until long after, and consequences can often be severe. The risks are considerable: you could fall victim to identity theft, get locked out of important accounts, or even lose all of your money.

The common consensus is that human error makes most of these problematic situations possible. Poor passwords, accessing important databases through unsecured WiFi networks, and not properly backing up data are just a few ways we make it easy for hackers to get what they want.

This is why it is so important to be proactive and inform ourselves as much as we can about internet security. Implementing some basic security habits, even the smallest ones, can make a difference between safe browsing and the serious consequences of unsafe internet practices. So, let’s check some actionable tips to get you started.

1. Use a Strong Password

This is one of the most important things you can do to keep your accounts safe. A strong password is at least eight characters long and includes a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.

Never use the same password for more than one account. If a hacker gets ahold of one of your passwords, they will try it on every other account. This is why it’s essential to have different passwords for your online accounts.

It’s a good idea to create a password system that you can modify per site without having to remember each password. Or, you can use a password manager. These programs generate and store strong passwords for you.

2. Use a VPN

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, encrypts your internet traffic and protects your online identity by masking your IP address. This makes it much harder for hackers to track you or steal your personal information.

There are many VPNs to choose from, but it’s crucial to find one from a reputable and trustworthy company. If you are a gamer, you’ll want to find a VPN that won’t affect your gaming experience. If you’re going to stream locked content, look for a VPN specializing in overcoming regional blocks.

For most of us, though, your regular, everyday, affordable VPN solution will do. Still, you should choose wisely – free VPNs are often less reliable and even sell your data to third-party advertisers to compensate for the fact that they are free.

It also pays to look for VPN providers with servers located outside the 14 Eyes jurisdiction. This alliance allows member countries to share intelligence data. So, if you’re using a VPN in one of these countries, the government could potentially request your information from the VPN company, and the company would have to comply.

3. Be Careful With Public WiFi

We’ve all been in a situation where we desperately need to get some work done, but our monthly data allowance is almost depleted. Public WiFi is tempting in these situations, but it’s important to remember that these networks are often unsecured.

This means that hackers can easily access any information you send or receive while connected. If you must use public WiFi, be sure only to visit encrypted websites and avoid entering any sensitive information. If you have to visit sites that require sensitive information on your phone, switch to mobile data, even if it goes over your data cap (unless it gets disabled in that case). It might be more expensive, but not as much as giving hackers a chance to access your personal information.

4. Always Double-Check Whether a Website is Secure

A common phishing practice is to create a website that looks eerily similar to a popular website such as Google or Amazon to gain user credentials and other sensitive information. Typically, hackers do this with banks or other prominent institutions requiring your data to log you in. Take your time to check whether the page you are using to log in is indeed the one you want – verify the URL for any typos and whether or not the website is secured by necessary encryption protocols.

A secure website will have “HTTPS” at the beginning of the URL, while an unsecured website will just have “HTTP.” You can also look for a lock icon next to the URL. This indicates that the website is using SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, which encrypts your data.

5. Take Advantage of Your Device’s Security Features

If your devices come with advanced options such as fingerprint readers and face-scanning technology, use them. Setting these options up, together with multi-factor authentication and other available security measures, can help you keep your accounts and devices safe. Unfortunately, not all security features and options are communicated in device manuals, or even online. However, it pays to get familiar with this type of settings before you fire up your new device.

6. Don’t Click On Suspicious Links

Scammers are not above presenting themselves as African princes in need of your help to transfer diamonds over the border (for which they will cut you a decent check, of course) or as your long-lost friend that has fallen on hard times. Just like they’d impersonate your bank, they can impersonate anyone else.

Avoid opening emails or accepting friend requests on social media from people you do not know. On the same note, if any offer you encounter on the internet looks suspicious or too good to be true, it probably is.

7. Backup Your Data

Backing up your data is vital in case of a ransomware attack or a hardware failure. There are many ways to do so, but one of the most popular is using an external hard drive. Even though these practices are considered rudimentary nowadays, as everything is in the cloud, having a plan B is always a good idea.

You can also use cloud storage services, although it’s essential to ensure that these services are secure and can promise an upkeep time of almost 100%.

Final Words

No security measure is 100% effective, but using several techniques for safeguarding data makes it much harder for hackers to access it. After all, a little bit of prevention and a slight shift in your internet browsing habits can go a long way towards keeping you and your personal data safe.

By following these simple tips, you can browse the internet with peace of mind, knowing that you’re doing everything to protect your personal information.

Source: Plato Data Intelligence: PlatoData.io

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