More and more of our lives are spent online. Many people use the Internet for work. Many use it for personal activities. Whether you conduct business or play games, it is important to stay as safe as possible at all times. Cyber crime takes many forms ranging from sexual predators to financial scavengers and scammers who look for the most vulnerable victims to take advantage of.
Once they find enough of your information, they can take your money and have a devastating impact on your life. It’s up to you to mitigate your risk and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your family.
Using a VPN
A VPN is one of the safest ways to surf the internet. A virtual private network is a secure pathway that is fully encrypted, providing you with a secure way of moving through the internet without putting your information at risk. Commercial VPNs offer administrative portals that will control several sub-networks. Personal VPNs are also available.
VPNs act like data highways. Information constantly travels back and forth over these extensive highways. VPNs are encrypted so that the information that is constantly moving along their pathways is secure and protected so that predators aren’t allowed access to the pathways, similar to exits and entry ramps being blocked.
Double Checking All Financial Transactions
Double-check all your financial transactions to ensure they are secure. This includes credit card payments or using PayPal to pay for purchases or send money. Free online tools can check websites to ensure the website is doing business legitimately. Online banking and financial transactions have become a convenient part of everyday life.
It’s hard to determine sometimes, which companies are real and which ones are not. This is especially true when working with cryptocurrencies. Hackers and scammers are constantly discovering new ways to make themselves look like they are running a legitimate business. It’s up to you to do your research before you make any financial transactions online.
Don’t Post Personal Information
One of the most important things to remember is to never post personal information online or share it with anyone in any way over an electronic device. Don’t play online games that ask for your favorite animal or color. Many of these games are fishing for information that people often use to create their online passwords.
Avoid sharing any type of personal information with anyone you don’t know or haven’t met in real life. They may seem friendly and reputable, but in reality, many are just actors looking for their next big score. Don’t be a victim! Keep all your personal information to yourself!
Any time you get online, remember to stay as safe as possible. Take any precautions you feel are necessary when it comes to protecting your family’s finances, as well as their personal security. Hackers, scammers, and other cyber criminals can come after you in many ways.
Be aware of what is going on around you and what information you are being asked for. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing it, don’t! End the communication and cut the connection. Stay as safe as possible and only use a secure network!