Sadly, there are many dangers lurking on the internet. Cyber-criminals can steal your identity, your money, and your credit card information. They can also use your computer to attack other computers on the internet, and they can find out where you live by looking at your IP address.
You can protect yourself by using strong passwords, ensuring that you use a different password for each site, never giving out your passwords or personal information to people you don’t know, and always updating your computer’s operating system and software as updates are released.
You should also be careful when browsing the web. Don’t enter personal information on public computers and you should avoid sites that have ads that pop up when you visit them. If a site seems suspicious, don’t click on any links, just close it. If an offer seems too good to be true, then it probably is.
Be cautious of what you post online. Don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want an employer or potential future employer to see. Make sure your privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media sites are set to private. Also, don’t publish posts on social media that make it obvious when your home is unattended.
Another way to stay safe is to use a virtual private network (VPN) when you’re on public Wi-Fi. VPNs encrypt your data, making it unreadable in transit, and will help protect your data from interception by hackers if you connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot.
Staying safe online means continually learning about new threats and taking appropriate precautions.