5 Ways to Stay Safe Online in 2024
Online safety is frequently taught in schools but in most of these classes, the teachings about the world online only scratch the surface of its potential dangers. From unethical hackers to viruses and more, we have to be vigilant when using the internet.
Luckily in this day and age, there are plenty of easy precautions a person can take to protect their online identity and work to stay anonymous. Anonymity is a blessing on the internet now as websites often ask to take your data through you allowing cookies and when paying for things, to enter your card and personal details.
However, some corners of the internet have shifted away from excessive data collection and have instead adopted alternative payment methods that don’t require all of your information to go through. Mbit Casino online slots crypto games, for example, allow players to play exclusively with cryptocurrency and use blockchain technology to keep transactions and payouts anonymous through their decentralized functioning.
The difference with general internet usage is that anonymity cannot be guaranteed until a person decides to protect themselves. To protect yourself on the internet, follow our top 5 tips so you can stay safe online without a fuss.
1. Purchase a VPN
A virtual private network (a VPN) is a network that encrypts your internet data to make your connection appear private and alters your IP address. There are many great free VPNs available for those on a budget, but they may not always guarantee optimal protection from internet threats.
The general benefits of a VPN are anonymity, increased privacy, and unrestricted access to the internet. Television show addicts will love this feature, given you will be able to access international catalogs for streaming platforms like Netflix and tune into the shows and movies you couldn’t watch before.
Another plus is VPNs can protect you from annoying pop-ups and online advertisements that you might get through social media or online searches which can clog up your feed and be annoying. Whether you choose a paid or a free one, make sure to do personal research and select a VPN according to your budget and needs.
2. Use encrypted or unrecognizable passwords for accounts
Don’t rely on personal words or tidbits of information to create passwords for your important accounts. Instead, use encrypted or unique characters for them. Even through your iPhone, we wouldn’t suggest relying on the ‘Create strong password’ feature when creating a new account or changing your password.
Through this, your phone and IOS are already storing your password in their data and it can be easily accessed through your phone passcode or FaceID.
Manually typing in the password to something that is not easy to guess will give you peace of mind to protect your accounts. The ways to create a strong password can vary but start with using a mixture of characters, punctuation, and upper and lower case letters.
This way for hackers or intruders, your password won’t be easy to guess if they do get your information. With this in mind, also make sure your passwords are different for your most important accounts. Do not be lazy and rely on the same easy-to-remember password for your logins!
3. Regularly check app permissions on your phone
Often for smartphone applications users have to allow the app permission to access specific data for it to function. For social media apps, some will ask for your location for data tracking purposes. On Snapchat, for example, you can share your location with friends, so if you attempt to engage with this feature, the app will ask you to allow permission, ‘Always, While using the app, or Never’.
Consider the need for these features to be active on your phone. Make sure no unwarranted apps have your location settings on as this can be used to track you online. Restrict app access on all of your apps through each app’s settings page to only the necessary features.
If you are using apps for location tracking between friends and family, make sure the apps you use are safe and validated through your phone software’s app store.
4. Frequently update the software on all of your active electronic devices
It may seem tedious and you may ask why you need to update the software on your devices regularly, but generally, doing so gives you greater security. Electronic software providers often have to provide services and downloadable updates for users to fix errors and enhance security.
Through patches, security measures and data can be changed to protect customers. Having the latest updates for all your software and important applications means your data is much harder to obtain for hackers.
Slacking off when it comes to software updates can make you forgetful and pave the way for online criminals. Because updates provide enhanced security, not updating your devices to include these security measures can increase your risk of becoming victim to cyber threats and malware and compromise the data stored on your online accounts, so get updated!
5. Fix your Wi-Fi network!
A standard login and password from your internet provider are not always enough to privatize your browser, unfortunately. There are some steps that you can take to camouflage your Wi-Fi network. Firstly, change the default name of your network.
Changing your home Wi-Fi’s name to something inconspicuous will help you to blend in from hackers who are looking for networks to overthrow. Think of a clever name and do not give the name out to people you don’t know well or to too many people when they come to your home. The less the people know about your internet, the better.
Turn off network name broadcasting so people nearby cannot find your network by location or name and most importantly, use an appropriate network encryption tool through your router if it is available.
See Also: Proxy Advantage: A Strategic Approach To Online Security
