Looking to stay safe on the internet? Afraid that someone might be watching your very back, or that someone is trying to steal your information or send you a virus?
Then you’ve come to the right place for those amazing internet safety tips. Most people today mostly browse on their phones. Let’s be honest it’s not that great of an experience no matter how big the screen is now in 2018.
I’ve been browsing the web for quite some time. On a computer, with a real web browser and not some touchscreen.
Internet Safety Basics
The internet is nothing but ads now, everywhere you go click or search someone is trying to get you to click on a link. Since you have come here looking for some tips for internet safety then you can’t go wrong with installing an ad blocker.
I highly suggest ublock origin. Adding an ad blocker will make the internet vindicated simply by adding it! No more fake looking download buttons whenever you try to download that free font pack. Need a video game patch? Don’t be afraid to click the real download button now, because that is the only button to click!
Internet Safety Facts
If you’ve studied security at all you will find out that social engineering is the easiest way to get someone’s password. Learn someone’s birthday? There is a good chance that could be their password to their computer. Most of the time you could put on a tie and tell them you are the “computer dude” and people don’t think twice and will hand out their password. People even tend to use their MOBILE NUMBER as a password. Let’s see… a public number you hand out to just about anyone, including the internet (facebook, twitter, etc.) and you want to put it down as a password?
Just don’t do it. Trust me remembering passwords is a pain, but it should be. Not only are those SIMPLE passwords, they can easily be cracked. We are honestly getting to a point that supercomputers can crack 12 digit passwords with case-sensitive letters and special characters in no time.
Here is a list of some of the worlds most used passwords.
In other words, DO NOT USE THEM.
- 123456
- Password@123
- Yourname@123
- 111111
- 654321
- 123456789
- Yourname@birthofyear
- Mobile no.
Don’t like remembering passwords. Fine, I get it. It really is a pain. People have come out with great solutions such as Keepass.
Add KeePass even to your phone, come up with at least 1 GOOD and Hard to crack a password for your master password and just let the program create passwords for all your stuff after that!
Keep your social security number to yourself
Never. Ever. Give this out to anyone unless you are signing documents and officially accepted a job. DO NOT give your SS# to a recruiter for any reason. They don’t need it, and if they ask for it because you are looking for an interview then they are just full of bull crap.
This is a key way to get your identity stolen and quite easy. It’s easy to feel vulnerable because people who are looking for jobs are desperate for the most part and wanting that career change or first job! This one of the best tips for internet safety I can give you involving identity theft.
Stay away from Public Wi-Fi
I’m not trying to tell you how to live your life. But, if you use public wifi without a VPN, and you log in to something sensitive. You’ve screwed up already.
Only in extreme circumstances or if you aren’t doing anything work-related/share private information should you ever use it. Say for instance you wanna watch a youtube video without logging into something? Knock yourself out.
However, if you plan on logging in to say your companies private portal while on McDonald’s or some kind of funny looking OPEN WIFI. You need to understand the device you are connecting to someone gets to see EVERYTHING you go to before it goes to the internet. This means if you are sending a plain text password across the internet at the point in time. (MOST LIKELY ITS ENCRYPTED BUT I KID YOU NOT, IT MIGHT NOT BE IN 2021) they have it and can easily get access to that information.
Email Attachments
How many emails do a day you think are sent trying to get you to download a nice trojan virus? Or some other type of malicious file? If you are not expecting an attachment from someone, then you probably don’t need to open it! If you don’t know the email address, or expecting an email with an attachment, delete it immediately and report it!
74 Trillion emails a YEAR, 80% or more “PROBABLY” trying to steal your information! Delete, delete, delete those emails.
Update that anti-virus
Come on, people we have been dealing with anti-virus for almost 2 decades at least now. Keep them up to date, it is not that hard. Anti-viruses don’t protect you from zero-day attacks but at least it might protect you if you happen to screw up and open up one of those Email attachments I told you to delete above. Also, listen up APPLE AND MAC people. You still get viruses.
So before some people get on here and start saying MAC and LINUX computers don’t get viruses like WINDOWS. Guess what they do and this also includes your phone operating systems too.
The internet is a great place, it is also a very dangerous place as well.
Logout of public computers
Web browser even offers to remember your password these days. If you are on a public computer do you think that’s such a good idea? LOGOUT. Also NEVER click that remember password button you are just asking for trouble. Browser Password managers have a major flaw.
So don’t save a password, and log out of everything. I would so much to clear your whole browser cache after being on a computer that you don’t own. If someone can gain physical access to a computer they can pretty much completely take control of it and see everything that’s ever been on it.
I’ve had to go online to several libraries in Kentucky to check email whenever moving because I didn’t have internet yet. You know how many people left their Facebook and logins left on? It would kind of ridiculous. Fortunately for them, I cleared the cache for them whenever I released this because I don’t want to steal anyone information. Good luck next time someone like me coming across the computer you were last logged on to and being that nice and have the knowledge I have.
Biggest things to take away from the tips for internet safety
Make a strong password. Don’t open stuff that you shouldn’t and have no idea what it is. Automatic password saving is a no-no. Protect yourself if you have sensitive information and have to use public wifi. Also, don’t forget to install that awesome ad-blocker. Using all these tips should keep you secure. Always be looking over your shoulder for shoulder surfers and social engineering.
I hope you have enjoyed reading some of my tips for internet safety and it helps you have a safer and better time on the internet.
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