“February 8th is the International Internet Safety Day”
Since the beginning of the pandemic at the end of 2019, we have all been taken by surprise by the situation of having to stay isolated at home. This led us to wonder if our devices were really ready to face the challenge of carrying out paperwork and other daily activities through digital means.
Video conferencing apps experienced massive growth and before mandatory isolation, they were better known in the business world.
Today we all use them to maintain contact with our social, work, and educational ties. This is how this abrupt growth in demand exposed some flaws in the security of the platforms.
Best Practices to Minimize Digital Risks
Your information has value, not only for you but also for criminals who can sell it on the black market or use it to defraud you.
It is essential that we begin to incorporate best practices to avoid cyber/online threats so that the experience of socializing, studying, or working through the means of the internet is much safer and healthier.
-Protect all your devices by locking them with a password or pattern that is hard to decode.
-Use a security or antivirus solution, always updated to the latest version to have your device secure and less vulnerable to web risks. They help protect your online identity and alert you cautiously on every web link.
-Try to stay informed about new hoaxes, threats, and fake news that are discovered.
-Choose strong passwords that mix numbers, letters, and special characters (*, #, ?). Do not share or write them in front of anyone.
-Take care of the links and dangers in the digital world, just as you do in the physical world, remembering that there is always a person on the other side of the screen.-Store passwords in the browser only if you have an antivirus installed and if you are the only person with access to the device. If it is a public device, it is not a good practice.
-Activate Two-Factor Authentication on Digital Platforms which is an additional layer of security that helps verify that only the user of the account can access their social networks and digital platforms.
-Never trust any page or seller for making transactions online and always go for choosing a reliable payment gateway option for purchase.
-Do not trust public networks completely. Avoid using public Wifi networks when out of place, though they offer to save our data usage; nonetheless, they do not guarantee to secure your data from leakage or hacks.
-Be cautious of emails received in your inbox and suspicious links contained in them. Marketing and brand promotional emails attract attention and pique user interest but a single click on the link or attachment may get you in a trap and allow cybercriminals to extract your personal data.
-Always be careful while using the less trusted websites as they may contain computer viruses that seek to take over your PC/laptop/e-device. Ignore the links or websites that have a dubious origin.
-Do not share your geolocation information with every single app that asks for it or any website you navigate. Giving permission to share the geolocation is a significant danger to the user and a gift to malicious actors of the web.
-Have a head while using social channels and be very careful about the data you share on any social platform, especially, your personal information, address, contact details, your whereabouts, etc.
-Respect technology and make well use of it. Educate your children on adequate usage of the web as internet usage is something that we must take care of and be aware of.
What To Do In An Unwanted Situation?
If you feel that you were the victim of a computer crime, notify the corresponding institutions. There they will know how to guide you on what you have to do.
Malicious content on social networks can be reported for blocking. You can use the “Report” button to report aggressive or distasteful posts.
