The Winzum guide on how to stay safe online
At Winzum the online technology explosion over the last couple of decades never ceases to amaze us, and in reality we owe it for allowing us to create this exciting online competition platform too. There have been countless innovations as a result of the online world, allowing for an almost infinite number of cool things that keep us all entertained, connected and content.
Whilst this is all true, it is important to also never forget the dark underbelly of the Internet, as there are always going to be criminals looking to take advantage of anybody they can. This is why online safety is of critical importance these days, and at Winzum we are constantly looking for ways in which we can teach you lovely lot how to stay safe online.
At Winzum we really do care about this, because we want to make our online competition platform the most exciting and also safe one going. Check some of our other articles such as this one [How we are committed to data security at Winzum] to see how we do this! But first, keep reading to find out the best ways to stay safe online and take your online safety to the next level.
Know a bit about malware
The most common threat to your online safety in the 21st century is likely to come from a type of malware, so it is important you know a little about exactly what malware is. In essence malware stands for malicious software, and it is a broad term that can encompass things like ransomware, computer viruses or spyware.
Cyber criminals will often try and use malware to gain access to your device through a baiting method called phishing. This is where an email pretending to be from somebody like your bank contains a link that will infect your computer if clicked on. There are a load of ways to effectively combat malware here [how to effectively combat malware].
Make sure your passwords are varied
Look, we all know how difficult it can be to keep track of loads of different passwords, which is why so many people just stick to one for all of their different user profiles. Whilst this can make your life easier in some ways, it is also a sure-fire way to drastically affect your online safety.
A huge part of data security and staying safe online is having a set of passwords that criminals won’t be able to guess. If all of your passwords are the same all it takes is one good guess for all of your online information to be compromised.
Never give valuable online information out on platforms you aren’t sure on
Internet safety is something that relies on common sense quite a bit, and without it you are always running the risk of having your personal information compromised. What do we mean by common sense? Well, a big one is simply making sure you are never giving out valuable personal information on a platform you do not trust.
This is data security 101, it really is. For example, if a website if asking for your banking details but doesn’t have a padlock in the URL search bar there is absolutely no way you should be inputting this information.