We all know many shady individuals are doing their shady activities lurking behind the cover provided by the internet. However, ensuring your security online need not require you to go off the grid. You can maintain your security while still maintaining an active online presence. Read on to find out how.
Don’t Make Your Personal Information Public.
Most of us must be aware that sharing our banking information, passwords, or home address on an online forum is a cardinal sin of cyber security. However, these are not the only personal details that should not be divulged online. In the 2013 movie, Now You See Me, a group of magicians gets access to an insurance company’s bank account in one of the scenes. They then use it to distribute funds to an audience comprised of policy-holders who denied insurance payouts. The magicians got the account details by simply asking the company’s owner the password security questions of his email account during a casual meeting. The unsuspecting company owner willingly gives all the answers without realizing he compromised his entire wealth.
The same scenario could play out with you as well. Hackers may use information, such as your pet’s name or details about your relationship, to crack your online account passwords. So be careful not to document too many details about your personal life on Facebook and Instagram.
You must also know that you deleted any online pictures or videos doesn’t necessarily mean they are completely erased from the internet. Even people who may be strangers to you can make copies of your content while still having it online on your social media. Once that happens, you have no control over your content.
Before You Click on Any Links, Double-Check Them
Although we all use anti-virus software, it is still important to ensure you know about and trust any online links in your email before clicking on them.
There are ways to tell if it is safe to open a link. Moving the cursor of your mouse over the link is one of those ways. It will show a preview of the full link. If there is a match of the preview link with the website you expect it to be from, it is alright to click. A simple company name search on Google is enough for verification.
For instance, let’s say you receive an email from Chase bank. The link preview shows “www.chasebank.com.” Now all you need to do is search “Chase bank” on Google and check the search results that come up. Google will invariably show its official website at the top of the search results page for large well-recognized organizations. The correct site link will route you to www.chase.com. This way, you will know the link in your email is probably unsafe.
If an organization sends you an email with a login link, do not open it. It is better to instead go to that organization’s official website and open the login link from there. Follow this tip even if a friend or anyone you trust sends you a link through an instant messaging app.
Only Connect to Secure WI-FI Networks at Public Spaces
If you are someone that is into heavy downloading of content from the internet, you need to stay away from public wi-fi. It is best that you use a secure connection, the best would be using a VPN. This will ensure that your personal details and information are not leaked online and exploited by scammers and hackers that are always looking for an entry point. A personal and secure connection is the best option when accessing torrenting sites like https://ipiratebay.org/
Avoid connecting to non-password-protected Wi-Fi networks in public places. If it is necessary to use one, avoid signing in to any of your digital accounts or entering any financial or other personal information.
Hackers are getting increasingly ingenious. They set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to trap non-vigilant users. If you log in to a network set up by a hacker, they can easily monitor your online activity while you are connected to that network. When at a public place, like a restaurant or airport, ask any available staff member the name of their Wi-Fi network.
Summing Up
Although there are many wonderful things in our world, there are some ugly aspects to it. There are countless pirates in cyber-space lurking in the shadows waiting for an opportunity to cause harm to unsuspecting victims. It is important to keep your guard up while doing your online activities. You would do yourself a huge favor by opting for an ISP that offers a secure online experience, just like Windstream Communications, which offers secure internet services and is trusted by millions nationwide. On top of that, you will also get to enjoy the consistent speed with their Kinetic Internet.