How to Stay Safe Online

Over the years, internet has had a huge impact on the lives of human beings, and the affect seems to only increase in the future. But similar to every other great invention, there are mischievous minds engaged to ruin the pleasure of using the internet.

As the number of internet users increase, so does the number of cyber criminals. Cyber safety is one of the major concerns of individual internet users, and of large organizations throughout the world. Let us discuss the major internet safety rules to stay safe online.

how to stay safe online

How do you protect yourself online? Let us know.

Antivirus Programs

Antivirus programs are used to safeguard against computer viruses, spyware, adware etc. A computer virus is a computer program which can spread from one computer to another by replicating itself. Virus can also be spread through digital media. One should therefore first scan all the foreign digital media using good antivirus programs, before using them. It is therefore important that computers contain the latest, most updated antivirus programs which could detect and disable/remove viruses and other similar threats belonging to the virus family.

[Read also: How Effective Are Antivirus Programs?]

Password Safety

It is important that users create strong passwords, which are complex and difficult to guess. Following tips should be remembered for passwords:

  • Passwords should not be shared with anyone.
  • Passwords should be changed on a regular basis.
  • For different online accounts, different password should be chosen, so that if at some point in time, one account gets hacked, the other accounts remain safe.
  • Password security questions should be chosen with care, to make sure that no one else knows the answers to those questions.
  • Care should be taken about publishing ones private information on public websites or social networking websites, so that none of this information qualifies as answers to password security questions.

Phishing and Spam Emails

Millions of internet users receive loads of phishing or spam emails daily. You should make sure you don’t fall for these phishing scams. These emails are intended to steal users’ identity credentials especially for financial accounts, by pretending to be a legitimate source asking for the information. It is of utmost importance that such emails are completely ignored and important information like bank account details, login id and passwords are not shared with anyone no matter how legitimate source they may try to appear.

Software Downloads

One must be careful about the software that they download and install on their computer systems. The software must be downloaded only from a trusted source and website. Beware of malicious websites. Also, the software must have a valid digital certificate associated with them. Software installed from untrustworthy sources may install virus on the computers, and may pose a risk to the entire health of the computer system.

Threats from Social Networking Websites

Many people use social networking websites to stay connected to their near and dear ones. But the use of such websites has not remained limited to connecting to friends only. People should adopt absolute caution in being friends with unknown people, who may be cyber criminals. Befriending with unknown people, makes ones private information available to them; which can be harmful. So be careful when using social networking sites.

Educate Your Children

The ability of the internet to facilitate socializing and interactions with others online should be used with utmost care. Online predators also use the same media to target unsuspecting kids and teens. Parents should make sure that they explain these threats to their children and ensure their internet safety.

ensure online safety for your kids

It may at times happen that even after taking various steps to stay safe online, one may fall prey to the activities of cyber criminals. This usually happens as the cyber criminals always keep devising new ways to fulfill their intentions; while most of the people remain unaware of them. Therefore, the most important key to stay safe online is to be aware! Keep your mind and eyes open to any unusual activity. Stay Safe- Stay Aware.

The above are safety tips to stay safe online. Did I miss out anything? Let us know in the comments.

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