Top 10 Ways to Ensure you Are Safe Online Ensuring that you are safe online is extremely important. With more data being uploaded and businesses increasingly relying on the virtual world, unsafe habits online could end up costing you. Cyber security is more important than ever. From unnecessary data on social media to weak passwords and reckless shopping habits, many people are putting themselves at risk online. That’s we’ve put together some of the top ways that you can remain safe online. 1. Create strong passwords. One of the best ways to ensure you are safe online is to always use strong and unique passwords for your online accounts and devices. Using weak passwords that are easy to guess and duplicating them across all of your accounts can put you at serious risk of getting hacked. Strong passwords are much harder to remember, but there are a range of online password management programs that allow you to manage your passwords, without the need to remember each one. 2. Ensure your privacy settings are on. You may not know this, but all devices, browsers, apps and websites offer you privacy-enhancing features which allow you to have more control over your data online. Unfortunately, many companies use this data to their advantage, so it may be difficult to find the privacy settings, however they are there! To be safe in the knowledge that your data is secure, always check that privacy safeguards are enabled. 3. Use a secure VPN connection. If you are connected to the internet using a public Wi-Fi connection, you need to be careful what information you input and send. Cybercriminals can easily intercept data sent over public networks, so if you are trying to connect to your bank or need to input account details, it’s best to wait until you are connected to a secure network. The best way to do this is to use a secure VPN (virtual private network) connection. When you’re connected to a VPN, it blocks external sources from monitoring your data usage or intercepting it. 4. Don’t post personal information online. You wouldn’t go around handing out your date of birth and address to strangers on the street, so why give millions of people access to sensitive information online? Always think twice before posting information on social media or filling out certain boxes in forms that aren’t necessary. 5. Don’t fall for clickbait. Sometimes, those enticing clickbait adverts or articles could be traps created by cybercriminals. Always double check if you really want to follow any links, as they could put you at risk of malware or data theft. 6. Always shop securely. When shopping online, you need to be very careful when you are asked to input your bank details. You can tell if you have a secure connection to the vendor by checking that there is a padlock next to the URL. You can also tell if a site is secure if the URL starts with https and not just http. 7. Be wary of social media. As mentioned previously, you should always be careful when posting personal information online. You may think that it is harmless to post something on Facebook, but you never know who may see it. Plus, any posts or images that you publish online, could be there forever, even if you think you’ve deleted it. 8. Update Antivirus software This may seem like an obvious one, but the number of people who don’t update their antivirus software is staggering! It may be annoying to complete updates, but they are for a reason and it could be to help protect against a new type of virus. Always update your operating system and applications to ensure you are safe online. 9. Think before downloading. Another way that cybercriminal will try to infect your device with malware or steal your information is by concealing viruses in programs, apps or download links. If something looks suspicious or comes from an untrustworthy source, don’t download it to your device. 10. Look out for fake profiles. The nature of the online world means that people can easily create fake profiles and pretend to be someone they aren’t. It’s always best to be careful when meeting anyone new online, as you never know who they may be. Fake profiles are used by criminals to take advantage of people, so always act with caution. Ensure you stay safe online by following these simple tips and avoid any nasty surprises. For all IT support issues, it is best to get advice from your local tech support team.