Staying safe online
We’ve all noticed a rise in scammers trying to get us to part with our cash and data recently, and as fraudsters constantly think of smarter ways to fool us, it’s more important than ever to be cyber security savvy to stay safe online.
To help you stay safe, below are some useful links to help you brush up on how to spot scams and stay ahead of hackers.
If you’d like to share your own tips and advice on how you keep safe online, you can post them right here.
Be Careful
Not all people who are after your data are cybercriminals, but it’s important that you really think about what you do online. For example, lots of reputable businesses will ask for your permission to sign you up to newsletters, to place tracking “cookies” on your computer, or send you adverts. You don’t have to say yes to these – recent updates to internet law mean companies have to tell you when they’re doing this and give you the option to say no.
You should also be careful when giving permissions on social media. We’re all guilty of agreeing with Terms and Conditions without reading them – but doing this could mean you’re offering up thousands of bits of data about yourself that you’d rather not share.
Think before you download
Not all apps are safe, and downloading one you’re not sure you trust can be a gateway to viruses. Do your research before you download apps and make sure they are who they say they are.
Secure links
We should only use secure websites – ones that start with “https”. – using a website that doesn’t have the right security could mean that your information is unsafe and could be accessed by other people.
Scams
Not all scams will be about unbelievable investment opportunities or wealthy Nigerian princes, some will be much cleverer than that. Here’s how to spot a scam:
- Citizen’s Advice – resource centre for spotting and reporting scams as well as advice for victims
- Money Advice – spotting a romance scammer
- Age UK – guide to spotting online scams
Passwords
The easiest way to prevent hackers from messing with your life is to create strong, unique passwords.
Choosing complex passwords makes it hard for hackers to break in using their software while using separate ones for all online accounts could save you a lot of hassle should one of them get broken into.
Of course, trying to remember different passwords for all your email, social media, shopping and banking accounts is virtually impossible, but there are tools to help you.
Password managers are a great way to store multiple passwords safely, meaning you only have to remember one. Most browsers, such as Google Chrome, have built-in password managers that can help you to keep them safe and in one place. They can even create super secure passwords for you and store them automatically.
At Stonewater we’re committed to keeping your data safe. You can find out more below.