Staying safe online and protecting your personal information can
be easy if you follow some really simple steps.
10 tips to stay safe online
- Make sure that you always use a password and make it as secure as you can by using a mix of upper case and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
- A strong password is the best way to keep your personal and financial information safe.
- Use different passwords for different accounts/websites.
- Change your passwords regularly.
- Never give away your personal details to someone you don’t know.
- Update the apps and software on your phone/tablet/laptop (found in settings on your device) to the latest version regularly – these updates contain improved security systems to help protect you.
- Consider installing anti-virus software to protect you against online attacks on all of your devices.
- Log out of websites/apps every time. By just closing down a website page without logging out, anyone with access to your device, could use your personal details without entering a password or username.
- Use free or public Wi-Fi carefully. Free/public Wi-Fi is often unsecured which means it may be easier for someone else to steal your personal information without your knowledge.
- When you receive an email avoid these common traps; promises of money or prizes, attachments you weren’t expecting or requests for sensitive/personal information from individuals or companies you don’t recognise.
Follow the steps above and you will continue to enjoy all your favourite things online, like social media sites, online shopping and much more, while staying safe.
