Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Identity Online
When it comes to online safety, it goes without saying that you should never share your passwords, banking information, social media account access, or address online. And keep in mind that identity theft isn’t the only risk with of a lack of cyber security, so some details are riskier to share than you’d expect. Other information, like details about your relationship, could be used to figure out answers to your security questions or even give hackers a tip-off when it comes to guessing your password.
How to Stay Safe Online
10 easy tips for creating passwords, installing antivirus software, and using a VPN to keep you safe online.
Jan 26, 2023
6 min read
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It’s no secret that the internet is home to some shady characters, but staying safe online doesn’t require you to turn your internet off. Instead, stay mindful and take a look at these 10 easy tips for internet safety:
- Don’t share personal information.
- Double-check and verify links.
- Use secure public Wi-Fi.
- Use a VPN.
- Only log into sites that start with https://.
- Be careful who you chat with.
- Turn off your Bluetooth.
- Use antivirus software.
- Use secure passwords.
- Backup your data.
Read on to learn more about each tip, plus find out about resources that can help you and your family stay safe while surfing the web.
Looking for a more secure internet provider? Enter your zip code below to find providers near you.
1. Don’t share your personal information
When it comes to online safety, it goes without saying that you should never share your passwords, banking information, social media account access, or address online. And keep in mind that identity theft isn’t the only risk with of a lack of cyber security, so some details are riskier to share than you’d expect. Other information, like details about your relationship, could be used to figure out answers to your security questions or even give hackers a tip-off when it comes to guessing your password.
You should also be aware that anything you post on social media (or anywhere) may continue to exist online even after you delete it. We’ve had prospective employers ask about content from our high school blog—and that’s been offline for about a decade or longer now. (Cue the facepalm emoji.)
2. Double-check any links before you click
When checking your email or scrolling through social media, make sure you know and trust any links before you click on them.
The rule of playing it safe goes double for downloads
Many cybercriminals seek to infest your computer with malware by tricking you into downloading compromised apps and software. Before you download, be sure you trust the site you’re getting your new game or app from. And just straight up avoid downloading anything that looks suspicious.
One way to tell if a link is safe is to mouse over it. This will show a preview of the full link in your web browser’s status bar. Check to make sure the preview link matches the site it should be from—you can verify the correct site link by googling the company name.
For example, if you get an email from Wells Fargo bank and the link preview shows “www.wells-fargo-bank.com,” it doesn’t match the correct site link that comes up in Google: “www.wellsfargo.com.”
“You can mouse over a link in an email or on a website to preview it in your browser’s status bar. Make sure it matches the official company link before you click.”
And if you get an email that asks you to log in, it’s safer to not click the login link in the email, and instead go to the brand’s official site to sign in there. You can go to the official site either by googling the brand’s name or, if you know it by heart, typing the site address in the URL bar of your browser.
This tip includes links sent to you by friends on messaging apps. True story time: We’ve had our computer compromised by a link sent by a trusted friend over a messaging app before. The bottom line is, if it seems sketchy, play it safe and don’t click.
If you’re not sure if a link is safe, you can always Google the company to find a link to the official site. Or, if an email or site asks you to log in to your bank or other accounts, you can always call to verify the request.
3. Use secure public Wi-Fi networks
You should never use an unsecured (unlocked with no password) public Wi-Fi network unless you absolutely have to. And if you do use one, avoid logging into any of your accounts online or on apps or entering in any personal or financial information.
Hackers are known to set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots to lure unsuspecting web surfers in. Once someone logs into the fake Wi-Fi, the hacker can see basically everything they do online. Scary.
If you’re out on the town and looking for a Wi-Fi connection, it’s safest to ask a barista or employee what the name of their Wi-Fi network is. And if the password isn’t posted where you can see it, make sure you get that info too.
4. Use a VPN with your Wi-Fi connection
A VPN, or virtual private network, securely connects your device to an internet server so that no one can monitor your activity or access your data through your internet connection. It’s a great (and legal) way to keep your connection secure at home and even while you’re out and about using public Wi-Fi.
The only downside to the increased security a VPN provides? It could slow your internet connection. This is because the VPN routes your info through another server to secure your data. You win some, you lose some, we guess.
Check out our guide on how VPNs work, plus a list of our top VPN picks.
Keep your VPN updated
More people are working from home lately, and that means many of us may be targeted by online criminals. One way to keep yourself protected is to use a VPN—and keep it updated, as recommended by the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
If you’re looking for secure internet providers, here are some of our top picks.
Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Identity Online
As the percentage of the population using the internet increases, so do the security risks.
Cyberthreats have become so widespread that the U.S. federal government has implemented a research and development department designed to formulate a plan to develop technology and create policies that minimize the potential risks in cyberspace.
With the rise in use of social media sites and networks, people are making more personal information available to the online world, making it more difficult to protect valuable data. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways to protect your own online identity and personal information.
Here are the top 10 ways you can protect yourself online:
1. Use Strong Passwords
The most common way to protect your online identity is to focus on creating strong passwords. When creating a password, choose something that will not be easily cracked or decoded. Never use a word or number that someone can associate with you such as a first, middle, or last name, a spouse or child’s name, address, phone numbers, employers, or other identifying letters or numbers. Mix up the letters and numbers used in your password and use symbols and a combination of upper and lowercase numbers when possible in order to protect yourself from online security breaches. Additionally, it is important to never share your password with anyone. It might be necessary to change your passwords a few times each year.
2. Look for Encryption
Before making any sort of financial transaction online, look for signs that show whether the website is encrypted or not. To do this, look for two things: the trusted security lock symbols and the extra “s” at the end of http in the URL or web address bar. When you are on the page that’s asking for your credit card information, the “http” changes to “https” when it is a secure site. At the same time, a lock symbol will also appear on the right side of the address bar or at the bottom left of your browser window. These two signals show that the site is encrypted, which means nobody will be able to see information as it’s sent to the website owner. This keeps your name, phone number, address, credit card number and other sensitive information from being seen by anyone else.
3. Install Security Suites
Security suites are security programs that keep dishonest people and programs from infecting your computer and stealing information and data from you. This includes blocking harmful software such as spyware, viruses, and phishing scams that can be installed secretly when you are online. Some of the popular security suites include Norton Antivirus, McAfee Virus Protection, Ad-Aware Pro Security, and AVG Internet Security. Be sure to purchase and install one of these suites to protect your personal information online.
4. Turn on Web Browser Blacklisting
The lack of internet security is partially due to the internet browser being used. Many web browsers have additional security options such as blacklisting. This allows you to set the criteria for sites you will be navigating; only secure, trusted sites will be available to visit.
5. Avoid Phishing Scams
Phishing scams use a variety of methods to obtain your personal information and steal your identity. There are many different phishing scams out there, but they can be avoided by educating yourself on how to recognize them. To avoid being the victim of a phishing scam never open emails or attachments when the sender is unknown and don’t click on unsecure links from strange emails. Additionally, avoid anyone offering money, unfamiliar job opportunities or requests for donations to charities as this might be a plot to obtain your personal information and online identity.
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