As our work and personal lives are now almost fully online, people spend a considerable amount of time on the internet. With that, they’re becoming more comfortable sharing details about themselves.
You have to be careful with your actions online. Any comment you leave or personal information you provide will stay on the internet forever. Here are five internet safety rules everyone should follow:
1. Don’t overshare
We’ve gotten so used to sharing everything we do online. From parties with friends to what we ate for breakfast, it’s all out there for everyone to see. But some data should never be shared online, like your
- social security number,
- identification documents,
- work-related details, etc.
Even if your social media profiles are private, you never fully know who can see your posts. So think twice before posting anything. Also, be careful when in online forums or comment sections and never disclose any personal details.
2. Use strong passwords
Passwords are integral to your internet safety. Unfortunately, few people treat them as such. Short and commonly used passwords are still prevalent, even in major organizations.
Some good rules to follow when setting passwords are:
- Don’t use the same password for different accounts
- Make your passwords long (12+ characters)
- Include special characters (*, $, %, #, etc.)
- Use lower-case and upper-case letters
If you’re having trouble remembering your passwords, use a password manager. A password manager can generate strong passwords and store them securely where only you can access them.
3. Avoid public WiFi and free services
We all love free things. But on the internet, free sometimes means danger. Free, public WiFi is a good example. Avoid communicating or doing any sensitive work through public WiFI. These networks are often unencrypted, and hackers may be able to track your activity.
Free software and services are also risky. Sure, not all free software you come across is dangerous, but avoid downloading anything that doesn’t come from an official online store.
Even legitimate services can bring risk to your personal data. Some companies ask for your data in exchange for providing the service. It’s up to you to determine whether their service is worth the risk of providing personal data to an unknown third party.
4. Be careful when surfing the web
While apps are slowly taking over, internet surfing is still a thing. It probably wasn’t too long ago when you went on your last mindless surfing binge. But, you should be careful whenever you start hopping from site to site.
Learn to recognize dubious content like pop-ups or oversized messaging telling you to click somewhere. Chances are, these were set up by scammers trying to lure people into giving away personal information or downloading malware.
Luckily, most of these scams are pretty easy to catch. But, there are some that even the most advanced users would fall for. A good example is cloned websites. These look identical to the original and are created to collect private data like login credentials.
5. Avoid interacting with strangers online
With the number of fake social media profiles, you never know whether the person you’re talking to is who they claim they are. Some scammers set up fake profiles to build online relationships with people and eventually ask them for money.
There are many stories of innocent people falling for such scams, some of whom have received national coverage. If the person you’re talking to asks for money or any other unusual favor without you ever hearing their voice, it’s probably a scam.
With that said, the internet is a great place to meet people. Whether through online forums or games, you can easily make friends that last a lifetime. But, until you confirm they’re real, don’t share anything personal with them, especially your address.
Conclusion
The internet is a fantastic place to learn new things, interact with loved ones, do work, and so much more. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t risks. In fact, the internet can quickly become your personal hell if you fail to prioritize safety.
The rules in this article will help you boost your online safety. Following them will allow you to enjoy the benefits of the internet without sacrificing your online and physical security.