Whether you go online to scroll through your social media feed, or to run your own business, it’s important that you know how to stay safe online. Not only is this a matter of maintaining privacy, it’s a precautionary measure that can protect you from fraud or a loss of income. This is particularly important when you consider that cybercrime rates increase year on year.
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With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to stay safe online.
- Know the risks. Being aware of the different kinds of cybercrime (and their prevalence) is the first step towards staying safe online, as it gives you an indication of what to look out for. For example, right now, phishing scams are rising in frequency. Being able to spot these scams means that your private or sensitive data (such as banking details) stay safe and secure.
- Wipe system data from all devices. Whether you get online via your mobile or macbook, wiping system data is another great way to stay safe online. After all, by learning how to clear system data, you are ensuring that hackers or other device users cannot access your online history, and that sites are unable to store sensitive information without your express permission. Wiping system data is particularly important if you are using shared or public devices, such as a work or library computer.
- Share your knowledge with your children. By now, you’re probably well aware of the dangers of online activity for children. For example, children are particularly vulnerable to online grooming and manipulation. As a result, you need to keep them informed about the importance of staying safe online too. You should also monitor their online time carefully, using software add-ons that block them from seeing content that is not age-appropriate. If they want to visit a new website, you may also want to VET it ahead of time.
- Set your social media accounts to private. While you may be tempted to rack up followers on your social media account, it’s best to keep these private. After all, ”oversharing of information may lead to issues like cyber-stalking, live location disclosure, social profiling, phishing, identity theft etc.” If you’re letting your children onto social media (once they are old enough), make sure that their accounts are private and monitor their followers. Encourage them not to accept follow requests from people they do not know or haven’t met in person.
- Invest in cybersecurity software. Installing cybersecurity software onto your PC or laptop is another great way to ensure you stay safe online, especially if you are using it as a platform for your business. After all, in these instances, it’s not only your data you have to protect, but your customers too. Failing to do so could lead to a range of legal complications that are hard to come back from. Cybersecurity software works by letting you know when you’ve encountered a website or link that may be dangerous, and can also block pop-ups and viruses. As such, it’s definitely a worthwhile investment.
