This month we thought our blog should focus on something that affects us all. Online safety, Security and Scams. How do you protect yourself online?
With life moving online more and more it is more important than ever to protect yourself and your loved ones online. We wanted to provide a comprehensive guide of some of our top tips that will help keep you and your loved ones (parents and kids included) safer online.
Let us start with probably one of the most important things, passwords! We even remind our social media followers quarterly to update their passwords too so make sure you give us a follow! Read on for the rest of our top tips;
- Complex Passwords- This means you need a strong, unique password for all of your accounts, this normally includes a mixture of characters/numbers and upper and lower case letters.
- Boost Your Network Security- a VPN is a great idea for this, especially when traveling- it creates a secure encrypted connection between your device and any public network you are using.
- Use a Firewall – Even if your network is secure, you should still use a firewall. This is an electronic barrier that blocks unauthorized access to your computers and devices and is often included with comprehensive security software.
- Click Smart- By this we mean, think about any links embedded in emails/text messages from sources you do not know, phishing emails are on the rise so always be wary!
- Be a Selective Sharer- These days, there are a lot of opportunities to share our personal information online and on social media. Just be cautious about what you share, particularly when it comes to your identity information. This is particularly important if you have children, teaching them to be safe and aware online is extremely important.
- Protect Your Mobile Life- Our mobile devices can be just as vulnerable to online threats as our laptops. In fact, tablets and cell phones face new risks, such as dangerous apps and links sent by text message. Make sure that your security software is enabled on all your devices, same goes for your kids phones too, you can never be too safe these days!
- Practice Safe Surfing & Shopping- When shopping online, inputting your credit card or financial information, or visiting websites for online banking or other sensitive transactions, check the site’s address. The address should always start with “https,” instead of just “http,” and have a padlock icon in the URL field. This indicates that the website is secure and uses encryption to scramble your data so it can’t be intercepted by an identity thief. Also, be on the lookout for websites that have misspellings or bad grammar in their addresses, always let older relatives know this too as they may also not be aware that checking something so simple could help keep them safer online.
- Keep Up to Date- Keep all of your software updated so you have the latest security patches.
- Look Out for the Latest Scams- Online threats are evolving all the time, so make sure you know what to look out for. Currently, “ransomware” is on the rise. This is when a hacker threatens to lock you out of all of your files unless you agree to pay a ransom. Stay on top of this and other threats by staying informed. We always try to post about the latest scams we hear of on our social media channels, so give us a follow and let us help you stay informed. Find us on twitter, @ScoresMatter_UK or Facebook, @scoresmatter.
- Keep Your Guard Up- Always be cautious about your online activity, which sites you visit, and what you share on social networking websites. By taking preventive measures and following just a few basic internet safety rules, you can protect yourself from identity theft, malware and keep your personal and financial information secure.
Remember, here at ScoresMatter we offer a dark web scan included in our suite of tools.
Using the Dark Web Monitor from ScoresMatter, you can check to see if any of your information is at risk on the Dark Web in real time. Our monitor will send you alerts to let you know if any of your personal information has leaked onto the Dark Web. Not only that, but our dashboard features personalised tips and information, along with next steps on what to do if your information has been compromised.
We have a 10 day free trial* offer too, so you can trial it out to see how helpful it will be for you, especially if you are online a lot!
We hope our tips have been helpful in keeping not only you but your loved ones safer online.
*19.95/month thereafter, unless you cancel.