The internet has become a part of everyday life, and awareness of internet safety and cyberbullying is essential for all age groups. Here’s what you can do for a safe browsing experience.
Cyberbullying: Recognizing and combating online harassment
Cyberbullying happens every day, though most cases go unreported. Here are a few tips which can save you from it:
- Make the most of your settings – Look up on Google how you can keep your private information safe on the social media platforms you use. They change their privacy settings often and hence keep track of it constantly.
- Think before you post – Remember that what you post on the internet can stay there for a while, even if you delete it. Hence, be mindful of what you want others to see about you.
- Educate yourself and your family – It’s essential to be aware of online scams when browsing. Since parents and elders are also using smartphones, they can access anything. Hence, teach them about recent developments in online privacy while you are learning.
Internet safety tips for responsible and secure online browsing
Keep your confidential data offline
Data breaches happen when some of your personal information is found online. You should keep your bank details and more critical information private. It’s safer to write these in a notebook other than storing them in an electronic device.
Check a website’s reliability
To check if the website’s reliable, first check if there’s a padlock on top in the Google link box. Secondly, check if
- Pages look neat and are free from mistakes
- Grammar in the body text and address line is consistent
- All images fit the screen’s width correctly
- Ads feel organic
If you can’t see these on the website, it’s safe to discontinue your search on those pages or websites.
Password security
Always use strong passwords at least twelve characters long with symbols, numbers and upper- and lower-case letters. A recent study showed that passwords within ten characters would be cracked within one hour. So have a password with 12 or more 12 characters long.
Use two factor authentication
Two-factor authentication provides an additional layer of security for your account. Whenever you want to access your account, you will get a code to sign in, and only after entering it can you log in. If not, you or no one else attempting can crack a way to use your information.
Safe online shopping to avoid suspicious online links
Unless you see a verified website line of an ecommerce chain, don’t tend to buy products from a fake site. Since most brands have social media handles now, you can see the link on their bios, which takes you to their official page. By doing this, you can avoid junk emails, calls and links.
Keep your computer updated
Apps and electronic gadgets receive software updates to safeguard your information. Hence, don’t ignore regular updates; hackers could steal data from outdated software.
Beware of free Wi-Fi and downloads
You can’t avoid using public or free Wi-Fi when it’s urgent. But understand that using these public Wi-Fi networks can often be a headache, as these are hacking hotspots. If you still want to use these, have apps and other ways that ensure safe public or free network access.
Secure your internet connection with a VPN
A VPN makes your internet connection private by changing your IP address. It also hides the sensitive data you may enter, including bank details when shopping online and other confidential information that can be hacked.
Back up personal data regularly
While cloud storage’s concept is increasing, it’s better to back up your personal information on different hard drives constantly. This way, you need not worry about any online threats on your cloud access account.
For unlimited internet and a secured internet connection, try Excitel’s broadband connections in your city. Contact Excitel customer support at the nearest branch for the latest broadband and safe browsing at your home.
FAQ’s
- How can I secure my internet connection?
- Use strong passwords.
- Keep everything updated.
- Rename routers and networks.
- Turn on encryption.
- Use a VPN
By doing these, you can browse safely on the internet.
- What are three ways secured networks prevent unauthorised access?
Monitoring user activity, enabling two-factor authentication and using strong passwords with 12 to 15 characters are the three easy and best practices to prevent unauthorized access.
