As the number of people using the Internet increases, so do the security risks. The widespread use of various websites and social networks has led to people making more and more personal information available to the online world, making it increasingly difficult to protect valuable data. Fortunately, there are several ways we can protect our identity and personal information online.
1. Use strong passwords
One of the key ways to protect your information online is to create a strong password. When choosing a password, choose something that won't be easy to guess or decode. Never use words or numbers that someone could associate with you, such as first name, last name, spouse's or child's name, address, phone numbers, and similar information. Always try to mix letters and numbers, when possible to protect yourself from imminent danger. In addition, it is also important that you never share your password with other people, and it is recommended to change it several times a year.
One of the key ways to protect your information online is to create a strong password.Photo: Mourizal Zativa/Unsplash
2. Encryption on websites
Before making any monetary transaction online, check if the website is encrypted or not. To do this, you need to pay attention to two things. First, look for the lock symbol in the left corner of the web address bar, then check if it's on extra "s" at the end of the "http" URL.
When you're on a page that asks for your credit card information, always check for the "https" abbreviation, which indicates that it's a secure site. These two items mean that it is site encrypted, which means that no one will be able to see the data sent to the site owner. Your name, phone number, address, credit card number and other sensitive information are thus safe.
3. Installing an antivirus program
Antivirus program or antivirus is a computer program used to protect, identify and remove computer viruses and other programs that can damage computer software and steal from users information and data. Some of the most well-known antivirus programs are Norton Antivirus, McAfee Virus Protection, AVG Internet Security, and Ad-Aware Pro Security. Buying and installing an antivirus program is considered the first step in protecting your computer, and everyone should have one.
4. Use the "blacklist" option in your browser
Most popular Internet browsers have additional security options, such as a "blacklist". Such an option allows users to set criteria for the pages they will visit, i.e. the ability to block unreliable pages.
5. Avoid phishing scams
Scams with fake representations are frauds, where fraudsters gain access to sensitive information such as usernames, passwords or credit card information by sending fake email or text messages that appear to be from legitimate organizations. The messages most often look like they come from banks, popular social networks, or online shopping and selling sites. Phishing fraudm are mostly carried out via email or text messages in real time, often asking users to leave their information on fake websites (which are almost identical to the real ones).
Phishing scams are mostly done via email or text messages.Photo: Stephen Philips/Unsplash
Today, the number of such frauds is unknown. Therefore, you should be very careful and educate yourself on how to recognize such scams. To avoid becoming a victim of phishing, do not open emails or attachments if you do not know the sender, and especially never open links from unusual emails. Also, avoid unknown people offering money, job opportunities, or requests for donations, as this could be a ploy to get hold of your private information.
