8 Precautions to Take When Using the Internet

From running a business to playing with your friends, there are a lot of things that you can do on the internet. That way the internet has made our lives a lot easier, just as if the internet were a gift from God.

However, you know how they say that “everything that glitters isn’t gold”. The same is the case with the internet. While it gives you a lot of pros, it comes with a set of cons as well. One of the major drawbacks of the internet is a lack of safety, especially for children due to their naïve nature.

There are some precautions that you can take not only to keep yourself but your family safe on the internet as well, and they have been discussed below: 

Invest in a Secure Internet Service

Most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) these days provide you with routers and gateways that come with an integrated security system, such as Xfinity Internet and its super secure gateway.

This way, you can protect yourself and your family from incoming malware and potential phishing attempts. Not just that, ISPs also give you an optional parental control, which allows you to block out websites that you don’t want your kids to visit.

Use Secure Websites

The first thing that you should notice while opening a website is to see whether or not it is safe. The easiest way to do this is by looking for the “s” at the end of “http” which denotes that the website is safe to open and is encrypted because it has an “SSL Certificate”.

Otherwise, if you enter your credentials such as passwords onto an “unsafe” website, then it is very likely that you may fall prey to identity theft or phishing. People involved in phishing create scripts that look legitimate but are misleading. Once you enter your login details or any other credentials, this information automatically goes to the hacker.

Create Strong Passwords

Your password is your key to entering websites. Without a password, you can’t log in to websites such as Facebook, Instagram, or even your email address on platforms like Gmail and Outlook. However, it is essential that you create a strong password for all of your accounts.

Remember not to use any common terms that might be easy to use. A strong password typically includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, a mix of symbols such as an underscore or a period, and a couple of numbers that aren’t in sequence.

Keep Your Software Up to Date

You must ensure that all your devices are kept up to date, such as your smartphone, your laptop, or your PC. Similarly, you also need to keep your computer’s browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox up to date. Updating your devices and browsers gives you all the latest necessary security patches that can protect you from harmful attacks.

Usually, these updates roll in automatically, you just need to keep an eye out and update well in time to keep yourself protected. Or you could just turn automatic updates on, whether it is your laptop, PC, or browser so that they update automatically.

Try Not to Overshare on the Internet

Oversharing on the internet is increasing by the day and it is not a good thing. People use terms like “ranting” and go on to talk about anything that would be bothering them. This would often include personal details about one’s life too.

However, this can prove to be dangerous for you since there are people out there who are keen observers and can use that information against you. Try not to share key details such as where you live, how many people live in your house, which bank account you use, etc. Just try to be as closed off as you can so that you can keep yourself protected.

Try Using Two-Factor Authentication

You can see Two-Factor Authentication as an extra layer of security on your accounts. Once you turn it on, the website will send a notification to your phone to confirm it was you who logged in. Some websites also send you a code to your phone number or email for verification, since you are the only one who has access to it.

The 2FA feature ensures that no one else, apart from you, can log in to your online accounts.

Once you ensure that you have done all of these steps, you’ll have nothing to worry about. However, there is one key thing that I saved for the end and that is vigilance. While you are on the internet, just make sure you are as vigilant as you can be!