I write very often about the importance of staying safe online. From shopping, to accessing your bank accounts, or even social media accounts, making sure that your accounts are well protected is important.
These days we use the internet to do almost everything, from online shopping and playing games to paying bills and socializing. This is why it is so important to keep your accounts safe and secure. If you are using a site which stores your bank details, such as Amazon or Ebay, it is vital you use a computer which has virus protection installed on it.
Not only can we play games and do our online banking on our computers, but we can also access these sites on our cell phones. So whether you have a Samsung SIII on o2 or an Apple iPhone 4S on Orange, it is very important you take steps to ensure you are being safe online. Let’s see how you can improve your online security.
When accessing your online bank account, be sure to only do it on your home PC and never at a friends house or at an internet cafe. The last thing you want is for your account not to log out properly because your details may be saved on the computer, leaving it open for others to login to.
Make your passwords long and complicated. Avoid using your pets name, your mother’s maiden name, or your favorite band because these are far too obvious. Include letters and numbers in your password – the more complicated – the better. It also helps if you change your password every few months.
Never store important information like user ID’s and passwords anywhere online. If that file is hacked into then you are left open to all kinds of trouble. Instead, write down passwords on a piece of paper and store it somewhere safe.
You can improve your security on social networks like Facebook by restricting your profile viability to ‘Friends’ rather than ‘Public’. Plus, avoid posting status updates declaring you are out because this basically tells everyone that you’re not at home which could attract unwanted visitors.
Leave a Reply