If you spend any amount of time online, surfing the Internet, then you are putting any information that you store on websites and even on your computer at risk of being hacked. It's important to know how to keep your online data safe and secure in a virtual world.
The first thing to keep in mind is that even though most websites seem completely safe and secure, many of them are searching for personal information with you. While a high percentage of these information searches are completely benign (used by many companies to target your preferences more effectively, allowing them to provide ads that would pertain to you), there are a few that have malicious intent.
Some websites are only seeking to steal your personal passwords or information that you store on your computer. They do this through viruses and cookies. Some websites are designed to look exactly like other sites that you may accounts with. For example, PayPal is constantly reminding its customers that they will never ask for the user's password or username. Yet you may find an email from what appears to be PayPal, informing you that your account may have been compromised. It then instructs you to click on the provided link and log in to your account.
This is an example of a phishing scam - a con designed to give someone else your personal details. If you click on that link, you'll notice the website address does not belong to, nor is it associated with, PayPal.
It's important for you to remain vigilant while you are online and not to share any personal information with any website that you personally did not go to and are not sure about its integrity. As stated above, most websites are run by honest, hardworking people, but you may not be able to trust the manner in which they protect your information. As a result, if you don't know them, if you don't know how well they will protect your personal information, then don't share any with them.
If you are searching for information or certain products, use one of the major search engines, such as Google. If the website is questionable, Google will likely provide a warning before allowing you to visit the site. This doesn't mean you shouldn't, but be aware of the risks. Also, don't respond to any emails that are spam or come from sources you do no know. Don't click on links from any of these emails, either.
Lastly, the most effective way to keep your personal information and online data safe and secure is to choose passwords that are not easy to guess. Use a series of seemingly random numbers and letters. It's better to have to struggle to remember them yourself on occasion than to give easy access to hackers who are bent on stealing everything you have worked so hard to earn.
An Explanation of CISPA for Small Businesses Protect Your Privacy With Reputation Management Top 5 Reasons to Check Website Security Why Ignoring IDS Could Lead to Substantial Damage for Businesses
0 comments:
Post a Comment