As a whole, the internet has been a wonderful invention and has become a tool where people can connect with friends and loved ones over social media, as well as learn and explore new information through the multitude of academic journals and of course, Wikipedia. However, these positives also come with a few hazards.
When you’re not aware of the many threats online, the internet can be a dangerous place, filled with users wanting to steal your data, hackers who want to infiltrate your data as well as other malicious people who plan on doing other malicious things. One of the best ways to stay protected online is to learn and understand the many dangers that are present on the internet. Here are just a few dangers that everyone should be aware of.
Private Information Access
There’s a lot of data about us, and the businesses that we work for, that if it falls into the wrong hands can be really dangerous as they can use this data to access our account, steal our identity, and even rob us of some money. To help prevent access to our private information it is important to never post it onto your social media. This includes addresses, birthdays, and of course banking information, as this can be used to potentially figure out passwords for some of your accounts or perform fraud. There are also other things to be careful about, such as posting vacation plans or when you may be out of the house, as this can give potential thieves a heads up on when’s best to attempt to rob you.
However, no matter how careful you are, there are other ways hackers can get your personal information, such as through email phishing or installing spyware into your devices. If this ever happens to you, the best way to minimize the damage is to have different passwords and login information for different accounts, so that if they gain access to one, they won’t have access to all of them. As well as this, you can also get VPNs, firewalls and other security measures that an IT specialist like USWired can implement.
Phishing
Phishing is the act of using fake emails and fake websites to get users to unwillingly pass over their personal information, for what they believe to be a transaction or security authentication. Phishing attacks can be really hard to spot for people who aren’t aware of them, as they mimic existing and respected brands well, and can look really legitimate.
The best way to protect yourself from a phishing attack is to never log into websites through a link and to never give information in an email. A standard phishing example is a hacker posing as Amazon saying that someone tried to enter your account, and you need to log in to perform a security check. If you’re genuinely worried, load up the website organically to check and never use the link as that could be a disguised malware link, or a link to a fake webpage that harvests your data.
Scams
Similar to phishing attacks, there are plenty of scams out there on the internet, ranging from Nigerian princes offering you millions, to more deceiving scams offering free access to games and technology. Scams are also getting a lot smarter as these scammers can use codes and algorithms to track your interests and then offer you fabricated deals that you may genuinely be interested in – for exchange of your credit card information. The best way to avoid scams is to follow the simple rule: if an offer is too good to be true it probably is!