Tips to staying safe and secure online
If you had told your nana or great grandmother years ago that in the year 2017 you’d be able to pay for a meal by tapping a Smartphone or video
chat to family members overseas via a large screen TV or check your bank balance by simply logging on to an app, chances are they would have never
believed you.
The advances in technology over the last decade have been nothing short of mind-boggling, however everything we do online, whether it be shopping, banking or social media, we leave behind a digital footprints – pockets of private information that without taking the proper precautions could fall into the wrong hands.
While there are thousands of experts around the globe working on ingenious new ways to keep our private information safe, there are just as many hackers and scammers plotting on new devious ways to gaining access to our private details.
There are precautions you can take to safeguard yourself from being the victim of a cybercrime.
Use strong passwords
Forget using birthdates and names of pets or children. Adding symbols like hashtags, @ symbols interspersed with numbers, capitals can transform an easy to crack password into one that’s much more complex.
Use two-step authentication
Ever tried to make a deposit into another bank account and it won’t let you until you enter a SMS code that’s been texted to your phone? It can
be highly annoying, particularly when you’ve recently got a new mobile number or your phone is flat. This is known as two-step authentication.
Google have this as a back up to confirm the person who is trying to sign into the account, is also the owner of the mobile phone number entered.
It also pays to use a virtual private network (VPN) when in public, this encrypts incoming and outgoing data. It becoming more commonplace to have
accounts and apps linked to your phone to verify it’s really you attempting to login.
Don’t use the same password for everything
It can be mentally challenging trying to keep track of all your different passwords, but using the same password for different accounts can leave
you susceptible to scammers. If they get access to one account, they get access to them all. Use a different password for different apps and accounts.
A secure password app can help you keep track of your passwords.
Be careful what you click on
If you’re not sure of what you’re opening or clicking on, don’t do it. If it looks suspicious, it probably is.
Check your privacy settings
Unless you want the world to know what you’re doing, where you’re going and who you hang out with, make sure your social media accounts are locked
down for your friend’s eyes only. Even then you should be careful about what information you give away, as you never know who is watching.
Keep your software up-to-date
It’s important to make sure you have the recent updates of your virus protection, as this can help prevent cyberattacks, malware and bugs.