The Internet has become a part of daily life and a convenient tool for various activities. From social media to e-shopping and email communication, your online activities have become a part of your routine. However, there is another subject worth discussing, and that is online safety.
Considering that 62% of adults have had negative online experiences, it is vital to be mindful of your internet habits, as even children are at risk. Here are a few you must guard against.
Falling for phishing scams
Phishing scams continue to threaten the online space. Even more concerning is that people continue to fall for these scams and inadvertently reveal sensitive information to hackers. Phishing scams are deceptive tactics often involving fraudsters posing as legitimate entities. They often front banks or online services to trick you into revealing sensitive information like passwords or credit card information. Sadly, many internet users have become victims of these scams and lived with dire consequences.
Despite increased awareness, many internet users fall prey due to the convincing nature of phishing emails. You can, however, avoid becoming a statistic by safeguarding your email and being vigilant. Be cautious of unsolicited emails asking for urgent action to provide personal information.
Online security experts also advise avoiding clicking suspicious links embedded in email messages. Your suspicion must be further heightened when these messages are from unknown sources. You will also notice discrepancies or inconsistencies in the sender’s email address. A spelling mistake may be more revealing than you think. For example, if you have a financial account with Lloyds Banking Group, any mail from ‘Llyods Banking Group ‘ should be a red flag.
Neglecting strong password practices
One of the most prevalent bad habits people often have when using the internet is having weak or easy-to-guess passwords across multiple online accounts. Many people do this as their strategy to not forget their passwords. Unfortunately, this is fertile ground for hackers lurking in the virtual corridors to steal your sensitive information. Some internet users also create passwords like “123456” or “password” for their digital accounts.
If you are doing this, it is an open invitation for hackers to gain unauthorised access, adding to the unfortunate internet safety statistics. Fortunately, you can learn how to protect email from hackers by researching the measures needed. The first is to adopt strong password practices by knowing how to create unique and complex passwords for each digital platform. Experts say combining numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters is best for password formation.
Using a password manager to securely store and generate strong passwords is also advisable. Recently, it has become crucial to enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security for your online accounts. Following these measures can reduce your risk of being hacked.
Ignoring software updates and patches
Another common poor habit is neglecting software update reminders on your devices. You must know that these updates often include critical security patches that address software vulnerabilities. What happens is that software developers and security researchers are constantly looking for weaknesses in their products. When these weak links are detected, creating countermeasures to address the problem becomes mandatory.
Therefore, when you fail to update your devices, you automatically give access to potential hackers who will have a field day stealing your information. Because you will likely forget to update regularly, enabling automatic upgrades on your devices would be best. That will ensure that your operating system, applications, and software use the best and most secure versions. Updates improve performance while fixing bugs and reducing your risk of cyber threats.
