Protecting yourself online
How to protect yourself online
Whilst there are specific ways to protect yourself when carrying out certain activities such as gaming or shopping online, there are also some general ways in which you can minimise the risks of the internet.
Creating strong passwords
One of the ways in which you can protect your online interests is to create strong passwords. It can be difficult to keep track but many devices will store passwords for you such as Apple Keychain. The key is to make your passwords memorable but not so obvious that they can be guessed, such as using a name and date of birth.
Don’t use the same password for multiple websites.
Include a mixture of upper and lower case letters, symbols and numbers.
Don’t share your password with anyone.
Change your passwords regularly.
Keep your devices secure
You can minimise online risks by adding security programmes, keeping your device up to date and only downloading apps from the official iOS and Android app stores.
Make sure your devices are up to date – older computers/devices are more vulnerable to hacks and viruses.
Install security updates as soon as possible – you will usually receive a notification that an update is available.
Look at installing additional security programmes such as anti-virus to further reduce risks.
