Do you make any of these online mistakes?
Most of us spend hours online daily, and there are many common mistakes we make that could put our data and security at risk. If you make any of the mistakes below, it’s ok, you’re not alone. But try to avoid them in the future so you avoid hackers and cyber criminals making your life miserable.
The last thing you want is to have your identity stolen or your bank account hacked because you weren’t cautious enough when you’re online.
Sharing Too Much Personal Information On Social Media
Do you know anyone who doesn’t want to even be on social media? Sometimes, people see them as being behind the times. However, those who limit their social media exposure are protecting themselves from those who may want to steal their information and do them harm.
If you have social media profiles, experts recommend not sharing every last detail about your family, travels, and life in general. You never know when people online will grab some of your personal information and try to impersonate you or take your personal data.
Leaving The Webcam Open
Webcam hacks can be a major invasion of your privacy. There is malware out there that gives the criminal remote access to your PC or device and they can enable the camera without you knowing. Remember, the camera on your PC isn’t safeguarded like other devices on the network.
That’s why you should learn the signs that your camera is active; usually, you will see a light turn on when the device is being used. And putting a piece of masking tape over the camera isn’t enough because the audio still works.
You should know how to disable the camera on all of your devices.
Shopping Online When Drinking Alcohol
It’s well known that people tend to spend more money when they have been drinking. You can use technology to avoid this issue by establishing spending alerts with your bank or credit card company. Most financial institutions let you set up a maximum dollar amount you are allowed to spend every day. If you exceed that amount, you’ll get an email or text.
Clicking Links in Unknown Emails
There are billions of dollars stolen every year when people click on links in emails that look legitimate at first glance but are actually fraudulent. For example, you may receive a phoney email from your bank that may have a link to a website that looks like your bank’s log in page. But it’s actually a malicious form that will take your login information and try to break into your account.
Make sure you look very carefully at every email you receive and make sure it’s legitimate before clicking any links.
Browsing On Public Wi-Fi
If you have ever browsed the Internet at an airport or coffee shop, you might forget that it’s a public network and it’s easy for hackers to get into your device. While we all like to have free Wi-Fi when we are in public, it’s important to protect yourself and your data.
Fortunately, much innovative software development has happened in this area in recent years, and you can get a VPN - virtual private network - account to keep you anonymous on a public connection.
Also, remember not to do any private online transactions when you are on public Wi-Fi. For example, you shouldn’t do any online banking or purchase anything that requires a debit or credit card when you are on a public Internet connection.
Taking Facebook Quizzes
If you are on social media much, you may see online quizzes that seem to only tell you something interesting about yourself if you answer 20 or 50 questions. Some of them may be harmless, but you may be handing over a lot of personal information to unknown actors.
When you complete an online quiz, you are helping the company create a detailed profile about you so they can sell that information to someone else, who will send targeted advertisements to you.
Even people who are highly tech-savvy and have been on the Internet for decades can fall prey to making these kinds of mistakes. Now that you know some of the most common online errors, you can probably avoid making them in the future.