In an increasingly connected reality, our personal data becomes more exposed, but with good practices you will be able to browse the internet safely. Read on to learn more about Network security and Data Privacy: 8 tips to Protect yourself and Avoid Scams.
Undoubtedly, the pandemic has drastically changed our relationship with technology, if before it was important, in remote reality it has become an indispensable necessity.
However, while being connected to the internet 24 hours a day can positively help in several aspects, whether personal or professional, this increasingly deep and uninterrupted contact with the network creates new types of threat and exposes users in different ways.
The biggest problem is that many people still have little knowledge about cyber threats and cyber attacks, which considerably increases the chances of being affected by one. After all, today we carry practically our entire lives in cell phone memory, for example.
After all, we have banking, investment, delivery apps, in addition to emails, social networks and contacts, and mirrored by these programs we have a lot of personal information, which if collected maliciously can cause serious damage.
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The Wesley Safadão case
Recently, the subject of data security, became a national agenda after the singer Wesley Safadão’s Twitter account was hacked and the singer went to the networks to clarify what happened .
The artist revealed that his account password on the social messaging network was 12345, claiming that he puts easy passwords because he has trouble remembering them. However, this simple act of thinking of a more complex and secure password makes a lot of difference for any user but ends up being ignored, which has exposed the privacy of thousands of people on the internet.
When this type of case occurs with people who are not public, it often makes it very difficult to reverse the situation due to the complexity of the actions that need to be taken.
The same type of strategy used to hack social media profiles can be used to hack your bank account or any other payment application, and in these cases the financial damage can be irreversible, which reaffirms the need to have a increasing attention to the security of your information on the Internet.
But how can you best protect yourself then? What attitudes help keep your information confidential and how to avoid and protect yourself from this type of attack?
1. Pay attention to the privacy settings on your social network accounts
When we talk about privacy settings, we are talking about how your information appears to other users of the platform.
Most social networks today leave your profile fully visible by default, which makes it easier for malicious people to collect information. The possibilities of scams today are increasing and sometimes with access to minimal information it is already possible to cause damage.
So pay close attention to your networks’ privacy settings and always review the terms of use when they change. With an anonymous profile or only visible to friends, you are definitely much safer.
2. Be careful when using online storage apps
Tools like Google Drive and DropBox have become darlings especially for those who work in a Home Office regime. The possibility of saving, sharing and accessing files from anywhere is indeed a hand in the wheel, but it does present some dangers.
This kind of tool is capable of ruining your privacy if not used properly.
Never use these sites to store passwords or confidential documents, the possibility of remote access makes this type of information much more vulnerable.
Also, always review what devices your account is logged into and log out whenever possible. This prevents you from leaving your account open on third-party computers or cell phones and ending up handing over a lot of tray information.
Tip: How to manage mobile data, use the cloud and transfer content to other devices.
3. Create strong passwords and change old ones
Today’s internet asks us to create usernames and passwords on virtually every website and application we enter for the first time.
Over time, it can become a pain to have to manage so many different profiles and passwords in different places and this leads many people to make the mistake of ending up using a very simple password and repeating it everywhere.
Know that people tend to use numbers that refer to their birth dates or those of family members, in addition to using a lot of numerical sequences. At the time of letters, the most common is that they use initials of the name or letters that are sequential on the keyboard.
You should at all costs avoid using these criteria for your passwords! This kind of pattern is easily discovered by hackers and makes your credentials much more vulnerable.
This type of password is the first attempt in times of attack and using obvious passwords is a big deal for anyone trying to access your information. Therefore, the tip is to use a phrase and not a word as a password!
4. Don’t expose your life so much on your profiles
Social networks ushered in an era where we are all the time sharing and showing our lives with just a few clicks .
Whether on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, we are constantly sharing our tastes, showing the places we frequent and posting pictures with friends and family.
This has its super positive side, after all sharing good times we live is always a delight, however care is needed. The more information about you is on the network, the more difficult it is to have control over who is viewing and accessing it.
Today, it is very easy to make clear the places you frequent through photos or check-ins on Facebook or Instagram, for example. If you insist on using these tools, try to inform only public places that are very frequented, such as malls or parks.
Avoid informing places that are very close to your privacy, such as the surroundings of your house, the condominium where you live or small establishments, which, because they are less accessed, facilitate your identification.
A tip is to check in when you are leaving the place, this way, you prevent people from knowing that you are there at that exact moment, and increase your safety and that of whoever is with you.
5. Beware of suspicious ads
Today on the internet we are bombarded with thousands of advertisements in the form of banners and pop ups that appear on your screen and ask you to click.
As tempting as the offer is, you should avoid clicking on these ads as much as possible, as a simple click can cause your computer to receive a virus or open a security hole in your data.
This alert is especially true for people who have older family members and acquaintances who regularly access the internet . Teach them what these ads are and why they shouldn’t click on them, after all, it’s often harder for them to discern when the ad is mean or not.
