There is no denying that the Internet is an essential part of our lives. We rely on it for work/business, education, and recreation. But, sometimes we get too comfortable with our Internet usage. Therefore, it is important to make sure you’re practicing internet safety. Here’s some tips to help you protect yourself and your family from unwelcome eyes and cyber dangers, such as hacking.
Internet safety: Your physical self and your information
This might seem like the most obvious statement, but be careful about posting photos and location, especially with little ones. Posting your vacation is (usually) fine. We’re talking about try not to post where you are in your residential area. For example, if you post about going to your local coffee shop frequently, then stalkers will know to look for you there. This is especially important if you have children- do NOT post where they go to school! There are apps, such as Viiddo, that allow you to post about your children safely from dangerous eyes. Post location and photos in moderation, and/or wait until you are somewhere else to throw stalkers off your track.
Your name, credit card number, address, and other important information is stored in your computer and/or smart device. To protect yourself from hackers stealing your information, or worse, identity, make sure you have a strong firewall that’s up-to-date.
This may sound lame, but you should at least skim over privacy policies. You’d be surprised at how much of your information is sold off. Recently, popular social media app Tik-Tok has been on the brink of exile. This is due to the Chinese government breaching into individual user’s phones and collecting private information. US government employees and their families were required to sign contracts agreeing not to download Tik-Tok to prevent the Chinese from infiltrating into our own government’s system. Other apps, such as Facebook, monitors your personal activity and sells the information to relevant parties. That’s why when you vocalize or type in an item that interests you, you’ll see ads about it immediately. You can control this by disabling cookies. But, we advise that you be aware of how much of your personal information is on the Internet, and who has access to it.
Protecting your devices from the dark side of the Internet
Although hackers and viruses don’t plague individual’s computers as much anymore, it still happens. Now, hackers will try to infiltrate through your online accounts, such as Facebook. Or, will try to sneak a link to a virus by covering it up with a seemingly innocent link. One of our previous articles mentions how to spot a scam site, along with pop-up windows that are likely ready to destroy your computer. Here’s how to set up a firewall.
We’re not trying to scare you off the Internet for good. We encourage keeping up with Internet trends and staying connected! Now, you can surf the web with more of a peace of mind knowing that you’re mindful of internet safety.
Tracy is the Design Manager here at Redwood Creative. She’s been designing amazing graphics and web layouts for large and small businesses for upwards of 7 years.
