6 Important Tips to Surf the Web Safely and Securely
Unfortunately today anti-spam and anti-virus packages are not enough to keep you and your information safe and secure when online. The packages, as much as you might like to think, do not hide your identity, and nor do they keep your details secure. In order to be able to surf the web safely and securely you need to put in a little more effort, and gather a few more resources.
As the internet and online criminals become more sophisticated and develop new ways of targeting us, our methods of keeping safe online need to also evolve. Online safety and security is an ongoing effort, and therefore we must always be aware of what we are doing, and what we click on when we are online.
Here are 6 of the most important tips that we have put together that we think you need to be able to surf the web as safely and securely as possible. Some of the tips may be a little pricey for you, so in those circumstances, you should balance the risks with the costs and determine what works best for you and your budget.
- Advanced Email Security
Emails are one of the easiest ways for hackers to access our information. As a result, if you are ever unsure about the safety or authenticity of an email then do not open it or any of its attachments and delete it. If you are really concerned about email security then end to end encryption is a good route to consider. There are free providers online, or you can use a higher premium service if you are happy to pay a little more for the privilege.
- Make your IP Anonymous ( VPN )
Making your IP address anonymous is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to ensure you and your information are kept safe when you are browsing the internet. To ensure your IP is anonymous you should use a VPN service which will ensure that your browsing history, and geographic whereabouts are kept secure and secret.
- Check Browser Settings Regularly
In order to protect yourself and your information, it is important to keep your online browsing confidential. It is also important to check and clean out your browser settings regularly. For example by clearing the browsing history, and changing the autofill passwords.
- Paraphrases Over Passwords
Passwords are needed for so many different things online, from bank accounts to social media sites. In order to keep your information safe you should create passphrases rather than passwords. Passphrases can be a couple of words that also contain a string of alternative characters. By doing so you can ensure that hackers will have a much harder time in guessing your password.
- Sharing sensitive information
Never share sensitive or personal information when online. For example, do not give out your full name, bank details, or social security number. If you have to give out this important information online, for example when paying for a hotel or similar, then use an encrypted end-to-end email service, or a secure secret messenger service such as Wickr. It is also a good idea to divide up your personal information by sending it at different times or via different messaging channels in order to keep your data as safe as possible.
- Use Your Common Sense
Staying aware, and using your common sense when online is probably one of the most important tips for staying safe when surfing the web. If you come across a site, or similar when online, and you aren’t sure about its authenticity then doubt it. Never download content that you can’t be sure of, and do not share files with other people who you do not recognize.
