Protecting yourself while using the internet is critically important. You don’t want to lose $23 million just because you opened a website to download Murphy’s Coming to America 2 or just to read the news.
Now, if you have up to $23 million to lose, that I’m not sure of. I am, however, very sure that it’s possible — and has, in fact, been done.
You are very vulnerable to attacks by hackers whenever you’re online. Should they get the opportunity to hack into your connection, you can lose total control of your finances. And we’ve not considered the possibility of losing precious information to them.
Imagine waking up to see your nudes all over the internet. Or having someone knowing every valuable piece of information about you although you’ve never met him.
Recommendations for Protecting Yourself While Using the Internet
Using the internet has to be wisely done to avoid falling for the whims of dangerous hackers. To ensure that you’re kept secured from these dark people at all times, here are some suggestions that you should follow.
Keep Your Web Browser Updated
Contact with any malicious software or virus is first made through your web browser. A tactic you can deploy to keep it more secure is to keep it up to date with the latest versions.
While you may find it peeving to update your Firefox, Safari, or Chrome about all the time, understand that these companies dole out new software repeatedly to keep you safe. Companies may have realized that hackers have found a loophole in the previous versions, and this is why they make newer models.
Your plugins have to be updated too. Java, QuickTime & Adobe Flash are also corruptible, so you have to update them constantly.
I even think you should turn on notifications, so you’re quickly alerted to new updates.
Block Popups
The pop-up is a little window that appears on the screen without your approval. Usually, they are a safe vessel for online stores to make simple adverts.
These are very annoying, given that they pop up just about any time, which often causes you to select an option you’re not interested in. While these are ordinarily harmless, hackers can take advantage of them to create their own traps, such that when you click (accidentally) on a pop-up, you’re directed to a page offering unbelievable offers. Should you believe what’s on offer & fill in your details, your finances are as good as gone.
Use a VPN
A VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a system that disguises your browsing details, like the proxy, making it impossible to be targeted or traced. VPNs are more secure than perhaps most Wi-Fi networks you’ll ever use.
Note that there are plenty of VPNs out there. It’s up to you to select the one you find most secure. A VPN connection is either free or paid for, and while the former works fine, it is not as effective as the latter.
Conclusion on Protecting Yourself While Using the Internet
Protecting yourself while using the internet has to be top of your list. Alongside the tips given above, you can also secure your privacy by implementing Do Not Track on your system. Also, ensure you open websites that start with HTTPS. These, and many more, are all actions you can take to stay safe as you surf the web.