Let’s face it. People are exposed to scams every day, whether that’s a telephone scam, a physical scam, or getting scammed online. Identity theft is one of the biggest scams happening on the web right now, and it’s mostly down to the people we meet while using the internet. Mobile internet browsing is on the up every day, the risks are rapidly changing and growing daily.
Although mobile devices are used more frequently as part of our daily routines than traditional browsers, it is not to say basic browsing rules don’t apply. Personal information is like gold dust to hackers as it could allow them to access details such as bank and credit card info. Other threats can arise from surfing the web insecurely such as images emerging online that can never be removed from the internet to embarrassing comments, and falling in with people you had nothing to do with in the first place.
Here are our ten tips to help you browse the internet and avoid getting into trouble.
1. Limit the information you share
Your home address and personal relationship is irrelevant to customers or potential employers, but they do need to know about your professional background and skillset, and how to contact you. The same way you wouldn’t hand out sensitive information to a strange, there’s no need to give millions of people access to it online.
2. Privacy settings should be enabled
In the same way marketers love to know more about you, hackers do too. Both of these data collectors can learn heaps about you from your social media and web usage, but there are ways to control what info they see. There are tools available that allow you to protect your privacy via a mobile or web browser. Facebook as an example has settings specifically in place to protect your privacy. The settings are often hard to find as companies want your information to use for marketing methods. Switch on privacy settings and keep them enabled.
3. Practice makes perfect
Would you take a stroll down a street if you knew it was dangerous? The same rule applies to visiting malicious websites. Content is often used as bait by cybercriminals, mainly because they know users let their guard down on occasion when searching for content that might be tempting to click. There are a lot of hard to see traps online where one click from an unsuspecting user can infect a device with malware or exposing personal data. Resist the temptation, and give hackers the boot.
4. Use a VPN connection for added security
If you head into a coffee shop and use online WiFi, you have no control over the security of the connection. To add a layer of certainty to your connection, if you’re unsure if a public hotspot is secure, you may want to wait until another time before entering any sensitive data while browsing.
To add an extra layer to your connection safety, you could use a VPN provider such as Unlimited VPN. A VPN puts a secure connection between your device and the internet that no one can access or monitor, meaning your data is much safer.
5. Think before you download
A common trick attackers use for malicious purposes is getting users to download apps or programs that contain malware. Malware could be cloaked as an app like a popular game or something that checks the weather or traffic. Keep away from apps that you don’t trust or that you think to look fake.
6. Strong Passwords are game-changers
Of the entire internet security structure, passwords are one of the biggest weak points, mainly because there’s no current way to bypass them. The issue with passwords is when people select easy ones they can remember, such as 1234 or password123, making it easy for hackers to guess. Choose stronger passwords that make it harder for attackers to crack. You could use password management software to manage several passwords, so you don’t need to remember them. A strong password is usually 15 characters in length and has a mix of letters, numbers and special characters.
7. Only purchase from secure sites
Each time you buy something from the web, you need to provide a credit card or your bank details, which is what attackers want to get their hands on. Only ever hand over this info to sites that use secure connections. You can discover if a website is secure by looking at their web address. If it starts with https:// you should see a padlock on the address bar.
8. Consider what you post
Although there is a delete key on the internet, any and every image or piece of content you post can stay on the internet forever because deleting the post (from Facebook for example) does not remove any shares or copies other people have made. You cannot take back a comment you wish you’d never posted, or get rid of that embarrassing photo you took after a few beers. Don’t post anything on the web you wouldn’t want your parents or potential employer to see.
9. Do you know who you are meeting?
Although a person you meet online may seem too good to be true, often they are not who they say they are, and sometimes they might not even be real. Setting up fake social media accounts is an easy way to get close to unsuspecting users on the web and dig into their cyber pockets. Stick to the same ethos as meeting people online as you would meeting someone in the real world.
10. Keep enterprise antivirus software updated
Although not every online threat can be deterred solely by using internet security software, according to our expert the best enterprise antivirus can help protect businesses from unwanted malware such as worms, trojans and viruses. However, businesses should ensure antivirus software is kept up to date. Ensure operating systems are updated as well as any applications used regularly, as these patches add an important layer of security.
Make the most of these ten tips to browse online safely, and you can avoid many of the malicious surprises that are waiting online for the unsuspecting user.
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