The Internet is undoubtedly an essential tool in our age, because now we can hardly do without it to perform certain tasks. Thanks to this tool, for example, we can keep ourselves informed on a daily basis without leaving our home. The web allows gaming enthusiasts to entertain and earn money online, and allows businesses to rapidly increase sales. Others use it for entertainment and to do business on popular social networks like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
If these many advantages are solid reasons to indulge in internet browsing, then we have to admit that cyber threats are becoming more and more. We often see data loss or theft, identity theft and especially attacks on our devices by malicious viruses while browsing the web. Studies have found that one out of every 5 people does not protect themselves from cyber attacks, which is still surprising in the face of the huge scam threats that loom over us every time we browse. In this post, we provide you with good practices to adopt for safe internet browsing.
Update all applications and software on your device
Whether you are using a PC or a mobile device, you should absolutely update the applications and software installed on it. Very often, the system itself will offer to update these programs. Updates are suggested when security breaches are detected or better performing protocols are developed. By updating an application, you allow your device to fix these flaws, plug any gaps, and provide you with better navigation. So don’t hesitate a second when your device requests an update for an application!
Escape from illegal and suspicious sites to browse safely
One of the greatest carefree things about surfing the Internet is visiting any website that looks interesting, to say the least. Online, you may receive links that may take you to unauthenticated or even illegal platforms, potentially putting your confidential data at risk. Hence, you need to be selective and choose only trusted sites to browse with peace of mind.
The world of online gaming is particularly marked by scammers who are good at stealing players’ personal data. These malicious people can send you corrupt links, and when you click on them, you run the risk of getting hacked. They will then take over your account to take back any winnings you have won, or they will lock up all content and demand a ransom before giving you free access. Similarly, if you are a fan of gambling, you should only go to the legal French online casinos to play. For example, you can rely on a reliable guide that presents a comprehensive list of the best French online casinos to choose from. These are reputable French online casinos that have gambling licenses from known jurisdictions around the world. Better yet, these recommended establishments protect your personal data by advanced encryption methods such as SSL. By creating a real money account on one of these platforms, you can be sure that you are protected.
Download and install an ad blocker on your device
Advertisements are common while browsing the Internet. If these banner ads allow us to discover some of the services or products we’re looking for, we also need to recognize that they sometimes hide all kinds of viruses. These viruses can make us lose our data or even damage our media. By ignoring every ad that is presented to you, you avoid these inconveniences.
The good news is that you have the option to hide these ads which are not only potential entry points for malware, but also disrupt your browser experience. To do this, you need to download and install an ad blocker like Adblock Plus to block ads on Facebook and many other sites. In doing so, you must accept one drawback: there are platforms that will block you from browsing if an ad blocker is detected in your browser.
Avoid opening suspicious messages
If you’re typing to open every message that comes your way, know that you’re an easy victim of scammers. The threat of phishing is most prevalent and many emails containing malicious content fall victim to it. Therefore, to protect your personal data and system from any damage, you should not open the attachments contained in certain mails sent to your mailbox without any security precautions. If you have any doubts about an attack like this, feel free to contact an IT manager or do some research online to see if another Internet user has already complained about the address you suspect. Is.
Always read the privacy policies of websites
Even in the best French sites or online casinos, there is always a page dedicated to the privacy policy. This page describes generally how your confidential data and information is used by site managers. Unfortunately, some Internet users take the time to read the privacy policies of online platforms. Be aware that by not reading them, you may agree, for example, that your personal data be disclosed to a third party organization for commercial purposes. That’s why it’s important to always read the terms and conditions of the sites you browse through.
Do not share your information with anyone
If you want to protect your privacy, you should never post your secret information with just anyone. Especially on social networks, you can configure your posts to target a given audience. There is also an option in Settings that allows you, for example, to control the visibility of the information you post, so as not to reveal all of your confidential data.
Invite and only accept invitations from people you know
Suggestions from friends on social media shouldn’t prompt you to send invitations to everyone. Likewise, you should not accept all friend invitations sent. Behind every profile there could really be a person with the worst intentions hiding and who just wants to confiscate your account. To avoid getting hacked, send and accept invites only to people you know. Minimize the risk of colliding with people who could harm you.
Back up your data regularly
Have you ever lost all your data on your PC, tablet or smartphone? If so, then there is no need to remind oneself of the dreadful feeling that can arise from this situation. To prevent this from happening again, back up regular data from Google Drive, Google Photos, and more. In case of data loss due to accident, you can simply restore the backup to recover your documents, files, applications etc.
Publish only secure content on the Internet
You should absolutely keep in mind that content that goes on the Internet is visible to a large community, and especially that once it is online, in most cases, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to contain posted content. . A simple publication could put your company, your entire staff, or even your life at risk. So make sure to know before you go live!
Avoid using public Wi-Fi
Using a public Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet is not very secure these days. Scams have evolved to such an extent that Wi-Fi networks can be tricked by a cybercriminal to achieve their goals. If you are forced to use such networks, try never to exchange your personal data such as your password, your username or your credit card number.
Be Careful When Installing Browser Extensions All The Time
Installing a browser extension can be dangerous, and our computer system takes care to remind us when you want to install one. Install the extension only when it is really necessary. And if you decide to pick up browser extensions, then Firefox Add-ons, Chrome Web Store, Safari Extensions and Microsoft Store, that is, the official store, are more recommended.
Use the “correct” password
On the Internet, we usually use passwords to protect our data. To keep your account well protected, you should choose passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. One trick for securing a password is to include letters and numbers to make it more “complicated”. Note on the other hand that it is not a good idea to use unique identity services, such as Google login, LinkedIn login or Facebook login. When your account is hacked from one of these networks, information about the latter is passed on to the others, and therefore in the hands of a potential hacker. Therefore you would benefit from using a different secure password for each service or platform.
Delete your browsing data regularly
To avoid leaving traces of your activities on the Internet, you can activate your browser’s “Private” or “Incognito” mode. If this does not suit you, remember to manually delete temporary files, cookies and your browsing history on a regular basis.
If you follow these safe internet browsing best practices, there is little chance that you will fall victim to a scam. Then try to incorporate them into your habits to enjoy safe and enjoyable browsing on the web.