Internet safety: Guide to keep your information safe online

Checking a bank balance, shopping on Amazon or downloading a new app are things we all do online nearly every day. But is using the internet safe? As the digital world drives more of these daily tasks, cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated and finding unique ways to access your data and identity, making internet safety more important than ever.

The internet can be used to stay safe, but there are also cybercrime risks. Cybercrime is any criminal activity carried out online that can happen to anyone. Cybercrime is only becoming more prevalent. In fact, a study conducted by the University of Maryland about internet safety revealed that cybercrime is committed every 39 seconds in the U.S. It is also estimated that one in three Americans are affected by cyberattacks yearly.

Internet safety: Main takeaways

Scammers can access your computer and personal information through a variety of methods. Online scams can take the form of fraudulent emails, bogus online ads, compromised websites, false job applications or downloading infected files, as just several examples. If you’re wondering how to stay safe online, always be wary and only interact with trusted sources. Below are some further online safety tips. 

6 tips for staying safe online

Below are some tips to help avoid online risks. You can also look at our guide on how to keep kids safe online and our guide on internet basics for seniors.

1. Avoid giving away personal information, such as if a website demands your phone number. Avoid listing very personal data like Social Security numbers. Either don’t share your email, or create a throwaway email.
2. Make sure your passwords are secure. Long, complex passwords with special characters, lowercase and uppercase letters and numbers are harder to hack. You might consider using a password manager to ensure your passwords are saved and auto-entered. 
3. Keep website safety in mind by only visiting secure websites. Visit trusted websites and avoid unknown and dubious-looking ones. Only make purchases through secure sites. If it says “https” instead of “http” it means the site has been secured using an SSL Certificate (S stands for secure). You may see a lock before the URL in your browser indicating an https address.   
4. Have solid privacy settings on any online accounts such as social media. You might consider turning off location tracking on any apps you use. You might also set up a VPN, or virtual private network, to use for browsing the internet. A VPN can help increase internet browsing safety by hiding your data from hackers. Also, watch out for signs of hacked Wi-Fi and ways to secure your router.
5. Be wary of any emails you open and links you click on. Only click on trusted links, if you click them at all. Keep an eye out for phishing, too. You should never have to provide sensitive data over email, especially Social Security numbers or banking information.       
6. If you’re unsure if a website, text or email looks suspicious, talk to a trusted family member or friend for their opinion. Reviewing information with others is especially important if a contact’s email has been spoofed and that dubious information is seemingly coming from that contact. 

What risks should I look out for

There are several main online risks to safety on the internet. While not an exhaustive list of threats to E-safety, it’s important to watch out for phishing, hackers gaining access to your network or computer, malware, ransomware and data leakage.

Phishing, scams and frauds

The main issues to watch for during everyday internet use are phishing, scams and frauds.

What is phishing?

Phishing is when a hacker poses as a trustworthy source in order to gain access to your sensitive information. Phishing is considered one of the top five cybercrime types, along with tech support, extortion, non-payment/non-delivery and personal data breaches. It’s the cybercrime that has accumulated the most victim loss in the past three years.

The lure is most often a familiar-looking email, website or ad and the trap is requesting personal information, such as your bank account information, Social Security number, password, etc.

What is a scam?

A scam is any scheme that takes money from an unsuspecting person.

Scams can take various forms, but a few popular ones include fake lotteries, sweepstakes or competitions. Scammers may also create fake dating profiles to lure someone into a false relationship and ask for money. Scammers can also pose as your bank or tax authority to try and gather sensitive information.

What is fraud?

Fraud is a more general term that includes scams. While scams always relate to money loss, fraud can include many types of deception. Five main types of online fraud can threaten your internet safety:

• Advance fees or banking fraud – Takes your money by requiring a fee for a false deal to process
• Mail fraud – Any fraud that occurs through the mail, like receiving a fake credit card application
• Counterfeit health fraud – The sale of unsafe or ineffective health products 
• Internet fraud – Any fraud taking place online
• Elder fraud – Fraud that targets the elderly population

How to recognize cyberattacks and risks

Take your E-safety seriously by learning how to spot the signs of a cyberattack:

• Unsolicited or unexpected contact: If you receive an email or phone call that says you need to do something urgently but the message is completely out of the blue, this is likely a scam. 
• Asks for personal information or money: If the content of the message you have received immediately asks for personal information, such as your Social Security number, that is a huge red flag. There is rarely a time a website or even your bank account will request personal information out of the blue. Similarly, don’t send money to unverified sources. 
• The use of threatening, urgent language or ultimatums: Often, cybercriminals will use fear as a tactic to get you to comply and give up information. If you receive a cryptic message that contains threatening language, do not panic, it is likely just a phishing email. 
• Amazing promises: If you receive a message with an offer that seems too good to be true, such as winning a million dollars, there is a high likelihood it’s a scam.
• Unexpected changes to your accounts or other information: If you notice any unexpected changes to your private accounts or see unfamiliar accounts on your credit report, you are likely a victim of fraud. You may also notice if bills/statements stop coming via U.S. mail, you get credit cards you never applied for or passwords or other information has changed.
• Spelling, punctuation or grammar errors: If you notice grammatical mistakes and spelling errors in the content of the message, the message is likely not from a reputable source. Trustworthy websites rarely send out emails, letters or ads with errors since they tend to be heavily proofread. You may also see incorrect URLs or domain names. 

How to stay safe online

Wondering how to stay safe online? Reduce your risk by following online safety rules. Below are some online safety tips to make sure you don’t become a victim. 

Tips to recognize scams via email

• Check the sender: Do you recognize the sender? If not, be careful with the content of the email.
• Hover over links before clicking on them: Does the URL match the description in the email? If not, do not click.
• Think: Hackers use urgency to draw people in. Ask yourself if the request makes sense. Look out for words like “Urgent!” and “Click now!” Other phrases like “log in here” or “manage my preferences” are often employed to trick you into clicking on malicious links. And never click on “Unsubscribe” in spam, just report it as junk.
• Look: Check if there are errors in the body of the email/sending address or if it doesn’t look like a usual email that you receive. Micortofs is not the same as Microsoft.
• Avoid: Do not use your work email address for personal accounts (this includes such things as LinkedIn, Spotify and any other account that is not work-specific). This will reduce the number of personal emails you receive on your work account and help protect you from accidentally clicking a link in an email designed to look like it’s from one of those accounts. 

Internet safety protocols 

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