It seems like every day we hear about a new social media platform or website that has been hacked.
When you’re on the internet, it’s important to stay vigilant and protect your online identity at all times.
Here are 12 tips for staying safe online!
– Never give your password to anyone. Some websites encourage you to share this information, but it’s never a good idea! If someone has access to your account on that site they could do some serious damage or steal personal information from yourself and others.
– Make sure all of the passwords are unique. The most important thing to remember here that the password you use for each website has to be unique. It is not a good idea to have the same password for all websites. If one account is hacked, all of your accounts will be compromised.
– Use a secure password manager to keep track of every single website and login information that you have. This makes it much easier for you to access each website because there aren’t any passwords written down anywhere. Password managers are available online at no cost! Make sure to check reviews online before you try any online password manager service and always try to go for the popular ones.
– It’s important to use two factor authentication (also known as “two step verification”) on every website that supports it. This makes sure that even if your password is compromised or stolen, no one will be able to access your accounts without the second step which usually comes in form of a six digit code sent directly to you phone via SMS. Every major website now provides 2-step authentication fo added security.
– Secure your devices with strong passwords, preferably generated by a password manager. Also make sure to turn on Find My Device for all of you apple products and check the “Erase Data” option under Settings/iCloud/Find my iPhone if you ever lose or get robbed (or even stolen) your device! Google provides similar services through Android Device Manager – it can track down your phone if lost while also wiping out all its data remotely in case someone else has access to it.
– When using public WiFi networks like those at coffee shops or airports, never login into account sensitive information (like banking accounts). This is because these types of connections are insecure which allows anyone within range to intercept traffic between their computers and any other website. In fact, it is recommended that you use a VPN when using a public WiFi network so your privacy and safety is maintained at all times.
– Likewise, never write passwords down on a sticky note and attach it somewhere in your home. This is actually one of the most common ways to get hacked – through people finding these notes around a household. If you have a piece of paper with important information written down that needs to be protected from prying eyes, then put this into an encrypted folder or password protect the document itself using software like VeraCrypt (which works seamlessly for Windows users).
– Another tip is to always log out of websites when you have performed your required activity e.g. if you are logged into your bank website it is recommended to log out as soon as you have made a transaction. The longer you stay logged in the higher the chances are that there might be a security risk so always log out of websites and apps.
– Never reply to suspicious emails as some of them can be phishing scams which means that you might click on a link and enter your login details into the scam website. Always check with somebody else before clicking on links or opening attachments so they can determine whether it’s safe for you to do so or not. Another step that people should take if their email account has been hacked already, then there are three steps: change all passwords, enable two-step verification and turn off access from apps/devices which have not been used recently – this will prevent hackers from getting back in again once you’ve changed your password.
– And remember to always keep your software up to date at all times – this will help keep you safe from viruses and malware. Try as much to now install software and use the web version of websites as in such cases there is less risk of your local machine being compromised through malware or viruses.
These are some quick tips that we had to share.
Hope they are helpful and hope you can use them to stay safe online always.
AwsmTips Team consists of some of many awesome experts who want to learn and share new things with people on the internet.