For every positive, there is a negative. Our use of the internet, be it via desktops or mobile devices, continues to grow and does so at quite an astonishing pace. Clearly, there is a massive benefit to us as a whole.
The accessibility that the web brings us isn’t something that can be overlooked. The fact that we conduct so much of our lives via the internet is a testament to the fact that the benefits are real and tangible.
However, there are drawbacks. Perhaps the biggest is complacency. We have become so accustomed to running our lives online that we have, and we are all guilty of this to some degree, got lazy.
We all spend a great deal of time using our mobile devices, which now a lot of our lives are run through, but we don’t often take enough care about where we visit online and what we do when we are there.
In many ways, we are all easy prey to scammers and fraudulent individuals and groups, who are getting more and more adept at running the scams they create. You can take many steps to help keep you safe, some more basic than others. Here are just a handful of them.
Watch Your Step
Before you conduct any online process, be that online shopping or accessing your bank accounts, always be wary. Not to the degree that every action has you sweating with anxiety, but at least enough for you to be cautious about where you go and what you do when you visit any particular site.
When it comes to buying goods and services online, you need to be wholly aware of the reputation of any site you visit. With that in mind, check out reviews of the relevant site and do at least the basic level of research before inputting any key information.
Look for issues relating to payments and delivery; these are two areas that are most likely to create problems for you in the long run. Some comments and reviews may be harmless enough, such as, for instance, an online store having poor delivery schedules, while others may be more relevant, so take your time and do the leg work.
Get Protected
There are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from potential harm. These might start with ensuring that any basic level of virus protection you have is effective and not outdated.
You can then take this to the next level, and to that end, we’d suggest considering signing up with identity theft protection services. These help to keep you clear of danger, and they can run crucial credit monitoring and bank checks to see if you have any issues in those departments.
The best of these services will offer insurance in case you do find yourself the victim of online fraud, which is very much on the rise. After checking out Aura reviews, we can say that their service is one of the best out there, but there are many providers you can look into to give you that additional help you might need.
Never Click On Unsolicited Links
This should be a given, but it isn’t. Often you’ll receive text messages or emails that purport to be from a specific brand or outlet and may even match those that you regularly shop at, and they will invariably include a link, and usually, you are encouraged to click so as to get access to a great deal.
Do NOT click on the link and delete the message or mail immediately. We can not stress this enough. It’s very likely that you’ll be directed to a mirror site that could look very much like the real thing, only for you to enter your login details that the scammer then takes for their own nefarious uses.
Password Password Password
We all have them, many of us have dozens of them, and the trick is to make them hard to guess and varied. There is a temptation to use the same one for all of them, but don’t do that.
Additionally, make sure the password isn’t something obvious like your date of birth or that of your children. You might even want to enlist the use of a password manager to get that extra layer of protection.
Finally, change your passwords regularly and methodically. Don’t write these down on your phone, and do not save them in your notes.
Don’t Give Away Too Much Information
Obviously, when you are signing up for a service, you’ll be asked to provide details to complete your submission but be wary of information that you are being asked to provide and don’t automatically opt in to an additional aspect of the process.
As with the earlier point, don’t follow subsequent emails or messages that ask you to sign in again, at least not without checking with the relevant online store or service. Always ask yourself, ‘why do you need that information before you provide the relevant data?
The key information related to most sign-ups is what forms the basis of most identity theft, so be very aware of the potential dangers.
These are just a few ways to minimize the risk you face. When you are online, you should do everything you can to protect yourself from very real threats, and doing so will give you the peace of mind to enjoy your online journey, wherever it takes you.
