Are Your Online Habits Making You More Prone To Fraud And Theft?

Because the internet has made so many things possible for so long, and because it gives us the freedom to do just about anything, whenever and wherever we please, it’s easy to lose sight of the importance of taking reasonable precautions to protect our privacy and security while we’re using it.

Hackers are having a field day because so many consumers all over the world fail to take the necessary precautions to guarantee their safety when using the internet, which has led to a spike in cases of fraud and identity theft. A small oversight, such as failing to log out of your Facebook account before leaving the site, might provide an opportunity for a hacker to access many other elements of your life and cause havoc in those areas. Why do people act in this manner? It is typically with the intention of acquiring information such as your card details in order to steal your money, although there are hackers who do it simply for the “pleasure” of it. This post is going to provide you with some advice on how you may protect yourself when using the internet.

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Log out!

Always remember to log out of your accounts, even if they are something as straightforward as a social network profile. When a hacker discovers your identity, they are able to perform additional research and acquire other information about you.

Don’t underestimate data protection

Think about investing in data protection for your systems so that you can be confident that hackers won’t be able to get at your information and ruin your peace of mind. This can be accomplished by presenting hackers with additional challenges and being in a position to recognize whenever something is functioning in an unpredictable manner.

Be wary of public Wi-Fi

Always use caution when accessing public Wi-Fi. When users use internet banking while connected to a public WiFi network, many cybercriminals get access to their victims’ bank accounts by simply acting as a “middle man.” They accomplish this by presenting the user with a website that has the appearance of what they were anticipating; all that is required of the user at this point is to enter their information, and the hackers will have complete access to the user’s account. If you have to check your bank account, you should do so only through a secure connection to reduce the risk of having it hacked.

Go crazy with passwords

Make up passwords that are completely incomprehensible. Instead of using the name of your dog as the password, try using a combination of symbols and letters, both capital and lowercase, to make it more difficult for hackers to crack. When it comes to choosing a password, another helpful piece of advice is to use a word twice. This is because the systems used by hackers won’t pick up on it. For instance, using “puppydogdog%£$$” rather than just “puppydog” would be a significantly safer option.

Upgrade your router

Use a router that requires a password, both at home and at work, to ensure that all of your data is securely transmitted. The greater the number of passwords, the better. You should also consider changing the SSID on your router. What is SSID, we hear you say? The Service Set Identifier (SSID) for a wireless network is analogous to a username in a wireless network. Your SSID can function as another layer of defence against cyber attacks. That, and a strong password will stop cyber criminals from being able to easily access your personal information. The takeaway? Make sure you have an up to date router, you’ve changed your SSID, and you have a strong password.

Be careful what you click on

When you are surfing the internet, you should exercise caution with regard to the links that you click on. Links that you come across on social media may not be secure, and spending even a short amount of time on a website could provide cybercriminals with all of the access to your information that they require.

Look for the green lock

Always keep an eye out for the green lock icon within your browser to determine whether or not the website you are visiting is secure. Stop using the page immediately if the lock is not visible.

If you implement these seven measures into your normal browsing habits, you will be able to safeguard yourself against instances of identity theft and fraudulent activity. Be careful when you’re using the internet!