Safety is a very important factor, but we are not always careful enough. On many occasions we make mistakes when browsing the Internet and that can cause our personal data to be exposed, viruses to sneak in or passwords to be stolen. For this reason, in this article we are going to talk about security errors that you most likely make or have made on some occasion and that you should avoid so as not to have these problems.
Common mistakes when browsing
When we enter a web page, use email or social networks, it is essential to maintain security and privacy. If we make a mistake, however simple it may be, an attacker may take control of our account or some malware may sneak in to start stealing data from the device.
Open any link
One of the common mistakes is to open any . For example, a link that comes to us by mail, by WhatsApp, when browsing a page… Sometimes we can trust too much and open it without thinking about the consequences and that can be a major mistake, since hackers use these false links to attack.
A clear example is that they can be Phishing. A cybercriminal has been able to create a fraudulent link so that the victim enters a false page. In this way, it could steal your personal data or password without you noticing. You can always see if a link is dangerous without opening it.
Not having the device updated
It is also common to have the device outdated . By this we mean, for example, not having the latest version of Windows, Android or the operating system that we use. But we can also apply it to the browser, as could be the case with Chrome or Firefox, and any other software that we use.
This is a problem since they could have vulnerabilities. These flaws could be used by attackers to steal information and put our privacy at risk. They can use it against us and weaken security.
Using weak or repeated passwords
One point that should also be noted is that it is quite common for Internet users to use passwords that are not really strong. This is a problem, since it can mean that an attacker breaks into a social network account, mail or any other online service without permission to do so.
The ideal is to use secure keys, which are completely random and also do not use them elsewhere. Never put things like your name, date of birth or any data that could link you and facilitate the attack.
Not paying attention to installed programs
In our day to day we can use many types of programs to browse the Internet, communicate with other people, make purchases… However, not all of them are going to be safe. There are many apps that pretend to be legitimate but are actually a scam. It is important to avoid this type of software.
Our advice is that you only use applications downloaded from official sources. In this way you will avoid adding software that could have been maliciously modified, with the aim of stealing data or sneaking in a virus.
Have any antivirus
Having an antivirus is essential to maintain security , but it is not enough to have just any. The ideal is to have one with guarantees, which has advanced features to detect malware of all kinds and can really help to preserve the security of the computer.
There are many options. For example, we can name Avast or Windows Defender as some popular ones that work well. No matter what operating system you use, it is always recommended to have an antivirus installed.