There is opposition in all things, light and dark, good and bad, delicious and gross, you get the idea. The same is said for online conveniences. With ability to do online shopping, dating, banking, bill paying, game playing and everything in between, there are also hackers and scam artists among the criminal online activities.
The list of online protection is endless, but Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami FL offers the below tips to protect yourself when utilizing the world wide web.
Online Passwords – When opening your accounts such as email, billing, banking, shopping, dating, etcetera, sites they all need to be different passwords. Most take the easy road and use one password for everything, but by doing this, you could be setting yourself up for catastrophe. If by chance one of your sites is breached, having multiple passwords will ensure your other personal accounts will remain uncompromised. Passwords for your various accounts need to be strong and unique. Mixing upper case and lower case letters is good to use in patterns also involving numbers and characters. It is also recommended that you change your passwords to the high priority accounts every 6 months or so. Take advantage of password-manager software to help keep your passwords safe without having to try and remember them all.
Two-factor Authenticators or Verifiers – There are 2 step authenticators or verifiers you can impose to provide an extra line of defense. When you enter into your account, a digital code is texted to you to input after passwords have been authenticated. That way no one is able to get through with just a password alone.
Social Media – There is actually a great deal of information that people use in their profiles or even on the statuses. Be careful what you allow the public to see. Hackers and other such criminals can use your personal information to hack your accounts and guess passwords. Don’t allow just anyone to become your friend, there are many imposters who use other people’s photos and make false profiles, simply to appear friendly and harmless, when actually they are using your updates to gather information such as; when there is no one home, vacations, valuables you may want to share with friends, and even to take note of your children. Only add the person if you know who they are, and always keep personal information to yourself.
Browser and Computers – Keep anti-virus and spyware programs current and up to date. Run your programs weekly if they are not programmed to do it automatically. It is also a good habit to clear history from your browser periodically.
Wireless Connections – Equipping your wireless network with HotSpot Shield is well worth the time. If you don’t protect your internet connection with passwords, and renaming your SSID, you could be susceptible to hackers observing all your internet browsing, including learning passwords.
Online Shopping – Online stores make holiday shopping especially so easy. But before you shop at the little unknown store, make sure there is a padlock icon next to its HTTPS address. Keeping your credit card bills carefully inspected of suspicious charges is a good way to stop a thief in his tracks. If you are a trying a new special for a specific hard to find elsewhere or happened across a great sale, use your favorite search engine to check out any reviews, and make sure it is a legitimate business.
Clicking on Links – Be wary of links sent via email or social media. If friends are showing off a photo or such, a link isn’t typically used. Ask your friends or family about it first. Clicking on the wrong link could be an automatic download to viruses or spyware.
Smart Phones – Just as you protect you computers with passwords, protect your smart phone. It is an easy task for someone to get into your phone and obtain person info.
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Never be too cautious. Just always make sure everything you do online is well protected, and you take proper precautions involving internet transactions. Verifying and double checking with companies is a proactive way to protecting yourself. If you should spot a criminal activity happening, always report it as quickly as possible to the vendors and law enforcement to prevent any further disasters. If you are the victim of identity theft, contact Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami FL to help find out who did it, exactly what damage has been done and how to rectify it.
