Online shopping, mobile banking, even accessing your e-mails — all these can expose you to cyber threats. They have been on the rise ever since the pandemic began, making the virtual world increasingly scary.
The good news is you can protect yourself against all these threats, without having to be too tech savvy. By learning how to use online platforms safely from the tips below, you will be able to minimize the risks of identity theft and money fraud.
Keep All Your Devices Up to Date
Everything connected to the internet is vulnerable to cyber attacks. When device manufacturers and software developers find out about bugs, they immediately release a patch to fix them. Once a vulnerability is exposed, more and more hackers will try to exploit it.
This is why it is important that you always install security updates when prompted to do so, whether it is your computer’s operating system, that of your mobile or any app you may have installed on them.
Use Strong Passwords & Two-Factor Authentication
With the multitude of online shops now asking you to create an account for placing an order or creating a wishlist, it might seem very convenient to reuse passwords. This is a dangerous move, especially when you save credit card details in your account or link to other online payment methods.
Good Practices for Passwords
- Strong passwords are at least 12 characters long and include numbers, uppercase, lowercase and special characters. Avoid using personal details in them, like birthdays or names of your children, pets or your significant other.
- If your password is exposed in a data breach, you must change it immediately. Websites might inform you via e-mail when such breaches occur, but with a considerable delay. It is best that you install LifeLock to receive alerts if there is a potential threat to your identity. If you want to have peace of mind that you are using the internet and tech devices safely, just call the LifeLock phone number and they will help you choose the right membership plan.
- Make sure that passwords for e-mail, banking, social media and shopping accounts are all different. Avoid reusing them across other websites, no matter how unimportant. Once a site is hacked and criminals get access to the username and password you use there, they can try them on major online banking systems.
- Change the default password on your smart home appliances as soon as you take them out of the box. Standard passwords from manuals are prime targets for cyberattackers.
Besides turning these tips into healthy habits, you should also enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. This means you will receive an SMS, a phone call or an e-mail with a one-time code every time you log in. It is less likely for hackers to have access to both your banking password and your e-mail, especially if you make sure their passwords are different and strong enough.
Other Tips for Internet Safety in a Nutshell
Once you check the vital boxes for security updates, strong passwords and a LifeLock subscription, you can go more in-depth with precautions like staying off public Wi-Fi, using a VPN, installing apps only from trusted sources and paying extra care to what you click on, either in e-mails, WhatsApp messages or random websites.
There are risks associated with internet usage, that is a given, but the above solutions offer proactive protection against such threats. You can now use tech in a convenient, effective and safe way in your daily activities.
