With the advent of modern technology, traditional life is now being challenged by a much smarter and more sophisticated way of life: cyber life. This digital space is a blessing for many and also a curse for many others. Like a double-edged sword, the same anonymous functionality that you enjoy exploiting online can also be used against you to steal your photos and personal information by a hacker. There are a growing number of cases where people regret uploading their old statuses and photos because it caused their bosses to reconsider their applications. For teenagers, the cases are much more dangerous.
Therefore, it is high time that we strictly adhere to some well-defined Internet security rules to protect our valuable and personal information from possible data theft. Since there are no cyber police to intervene in an emergency, it is you who must be the only protector of yourself when browsing the Internet. From changing passwords to adding privacy settings to personal photos, here are the top 10 internet security rules that can protect your cyber life from a potential data breach.
1. Confidentiality of personal information
If you don’t just give your personal information to strangers on the street, why would you do the same to millions of people online? Yes, that is correct. You should add appropriate privacy settings to your data that the public is not aware of. If you’re applying for a job, your client shouldn’t be interested in knowing your relationship status or your home address. Therefore, there is no point in keeping this information about hobbies, tastes, interests, or life preferences public for everyone to see and judge your tastes. Restrict your privacy to add a layer of cybersecurity to your valuable data.
2. Practice safe browsing
As there is always an added risk of wandering around an unfamiliar neighborhood, browsing dangerous sites online can also produce the same undesirable results. If you visit a sports or gaming website like Tether Online Casino or Miniclip-dot-com, it won’t be surprising to see tons of ad placements where one or two could be tricked with malware by any hacker. A single click on any of them, whether intentional or out of curiosity, can result in a massive leak of your digital footprint. Try private browsing or as a guest to leave no trace of your whereabouts.
3. Make good use of VPNs
It is neither ideal nor recommended to use free wifi in public places because they have almost no security at the ends of their connections. Therefore, your devices are more susceptible to hacking than any other and can often lead to the theft of bank details, passwords and more. A good VPN with access to multiple servers around the world can help you not only protect your data, but also hide your digital footprints. They are worth every dollar of your money if it is security that you are most concerned about on cyber platforms.
4. Limitation of personal information
No one needs to know your hometown location, phone number, or who you’re engaged to. There’s a reason they’re called “personal.” By limiting access to your personal data in this way, or simply limiting the amount of personal information you want to share online, you can protect your valuable data, which would otherwise be compromised. Because remember, others on the internet don’t care about your data and don’t respect it. You decide what to share and what not to share.
5. Filter what you download
Remember how many sites are littered with flashing green and red download buttons? Yeah, not everything that flashes is a gold mine there. In fact, many of them are faked with malicious links that can download automatically and set viruses in your device. There are many tutorial sites like How to choose an online casino, or How to play the piano which, by clicking, will redirect you to advertising sites. You should be careful while browsing these platforms and ensure that the site does not download anything on its own to your device. Filtering and monitoring what you download online is an essential way to protect your device from unwanted viruses.
6. Purchases from reputable sites
In this digital age of e-commerce, most of our shopping marketplaces have moved to digital screens. Hence, there is an increase in the number of online marketplaces where you can place your order. However, care must be taken to ensure that the site is secure and trustworthy, as you share your card details when purchasing. It’s common for all e-commerce sites to ask for permission to access your cookies, which helps them better tailor ads and suggestions to your needs. Thus, the wise decision will be to give access only to sites secured by the competent authorities.
7. Have a strong password
The biggest weak point of any security system is the human connection attached to it. It’s humans who deliberately choose a short password to stick it in their head. However, the risks associated with weak passwords are immense and lead to loss of data, information and even money. Modern cybercriminals are smart enough to crack simple passwords devoid of numbers and other special characters. It takes a little permutation algorithm to figure out the 8 digits of a number. Therefore, it is recommended to use a password of at least 15 strong characters with letters, numbers and special characters blending seamlessly.
8. Keep your antivirus up to date
Many modern operating systems come with built-in antivirus programs such as Windows Defender in Microsoft Windows. These are handy tools to detect infected files and viruses present in the device. However, for their proper functioning, they must be updated frequently in order to know the latest definition of viruses. Let the program run in the background while you leisurely browse the Internet. Because they add an extra layer of security to protect your valuable information from potential hackers. These are effective, fast and trustworthy to use in day to day life whenever we browse the internet.
9. Pay close attention to what you post online
The Internet does not come with a delete button. And even if it does, chances are your message will be captured and uploaded elsewhere by anonymous users without any trace. That should be good enough reason for you to think twice, if necessary, before posting anything online. Because once you hit the post, you have no control over what you can do next. Therefore, if you do not want your client, boss, employer, parents or friends to see your embarrassing photos, comments or statuses in the future, it will be up to you to take full responsibility for what you think it is appropriate to post. now.
10. Be on your toes when meeting people online
The most exploitable feature of the Internet is its “anonymity”. Of course, this is a good thing for journalists, writers and introverts; it also has great appeal to scammers and online bullies. Many people fall victim to online scams. They take advantage of people’s vulnerability and find ways to charge them money based on false promises. Older people are usually the most targeted and they are relatively easily gullible. Therefore, you should always be on your guard when meeting new people online, as scammers and profiteers come in various disguises.
In conclusion
Just as every system has clear do’s and don’ts manuals, it should come as no surprise that the internet has the same. In this 21st century, 3rd millennium, simple protection on the outside will be useless. We must equip ourselves to protect ourselves both on the digital platform and on the physical platform. This is all the more serious since most of our currencies are now made up of 1s and 0s. Therefore, if you are concerned about protecting your personal data and information, protecting your passwords, protecting your device against potentially dangerous viruses and to be aware of digital fraud, the list of security rules described above can be useful to you when you start surfing the Internet.
Aaron Fernandez Story
Related
Comments are closed.