Every single day, at least 30,000 websites all over the world are hacked. The online world has taken over, and some people are eager to browse the World Wide Web every day – while others are eager to ruin the fun for everyone else. The latter category looks to endanger people’s personal information and even gain personal benefits.
Unfortunately, the Internet isn’t always safe. Cybercriminals are waiting for the best opportunity to take others’ information, such as their home address, name, Social Security number, bank account information, and more.
And if you think that only your typical individual can get hacked, that’s false. Even some of the largest companies and most secured governmental agencies can be at risk.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to make sure you protect your identity online. Here are some tips that will help you.
1. Check For Encryption
Encryption is a small detail that not everyone bothers to pay attention to when navigating the Internet. However, making payments on a website that isn’t encrypted can be dangerous for your personal information.
Encryption is shown through the “s” at the end of “HTTP” when you look at the page’s URL, as well as through the lock symbol you see before the URL. When a website is encrypted, it will prevent anyone else from seeing your information – the website owner is the only one who will receive the details.
Unless you see the lock symbol and the extra “s” on the page asking for your card information, never proceed with the transaction.
2. Consider Private Data Protection
If you want an extra level of safety for your private data when navigating the Internet, you should consider private data protection. It will ensure that your details never make it to others who are not meant to see them.
All the information will be protected by this cybersecurity layer by preventing access from outside and maintaining everything within your network only. In case there’s any intruder who is trying to break into your network, you will find out about it.
3. Always Go For Strong Passwords
Whenever you create any account, whether it’s a social media or an online bank account, you are required to use a password that prevents other people’s access to it. However, in the absence of a strong password, experienced cybercriminals will be able to gain access to your account.
This is why it’s always recommended to use a strong password for your account – something that nobody can guess, decode or crack. Ideally, you should combine letters, numbers, and symbols in your password and make it longer.
Also, refrain from using data like your name, the name of a loved one, your phone number, address, or anything too personal. Otherwise, someone could easily guess your password.
5. Don’t Forget To Delete Cookies
You might not delete your browser’s cookies because you don’t see the point. Well, you’ll want to do it after reading this.
Many cybercriminals can use your browser sessions to gain access to your data, as cookies track your IP addresses, browsing history, and various other details. So, make sure to delete cookies on a regular basis.
6. Take Advantage Of Blacklisting
Web browsers have a blacklisting feature for a reason: to keep you safe. Various browsers will have blacklisting as a great security option. Using it, you can set different criteria for the websites you navigate. This way, you’ll only be able to visit trusted websites that pose no security risk.
Social media is extremely popular, with 4.70 billion people using it. It’s an easy and convenient method to communicate with friends and family, but also a good way to share what’s going on in your life, whether that’s a marriage, the birth of a baby, a nice vacation abroad, and so on.
But many people make the mistake of sharing too much personal information. This increases the risk of this data being stolen by unscrupulous people – and you don’t want that.
Make sure you do not share anything like your credit card details, social security number, home address, or bank information – you never know when it can be stolen.
Final Thoughts
Having your personal information stolen online may not be the same as getting injured in a car accident in Indiana, where these incidents resulted in more than 699 deaths in 2021 and required the assistance of an Evansville personal injury lawyer. But while there is no physical injury involved, you will still go through stress and losses if your identity is stolen.
Follow these tips to make sure you’re protected against cybercriminals at all times.
