Tips for Safely Browsing the Internet

Most people love the Internet and use it almost every day. Let's review a few tips to avoid getting in trouble while browsing the Internet.

Surrendering Security for Convenience
The majority of threats found online can be avoided somewhat easily by developing responsible habits. Alas, it is much easier to develop bad habits, which only leaves you more vulnerable to online threats.

For example: passwords. While it may be irritating to have to remember more than one password, it is even more irritating to find yourself locked out of all of your accounts if your single password is uncovered by a cybercriminal or leaked. All of your accounts should have their own unique password, preferably consisting of a random string of numbers, letters, and symbols.

If you predict that you will have difficulty remembering your passwords, defy the urge to write them down. Instead, utilize a password manager program. A password manager program allows you to safely save your passwords for numerous sites and services and protects them with a single master password.

You should also do some password management on your networking equipment. If a hacker can gain entry to your router, everything on your network is then vulnerable to them. A way to make it easier for a cybercriminal is to leave your router set to the default password. Similar to any password-protected account, you need to develop a new password for your router that meets the best practices that were discussed above, changing it periodically.

Naturally, in addition to best password practices, there are other considerations to make to truly be secure when on the Internet.

Other Strategies
One of the simplest ways to improve your online security is to ensure that you’re using the most current tools and programs, including your web browser. The relationship between the programs you rely on and the threats that target you means that the two are essentially locked in an arms race over your security. As threats upgrade and locate new vulnerabilities, solutions have to shore up their defenses and eliminate these vulnerabilities.

Thus, you need to be diligent about updating your solutions promptly, so that these upgrades can be put into effect and protect your system.

Locate the Lock
When submitting sensitive information to the Internet, like your credit card number when shopping online, locate the lock in your browser address bar. This lock will show up to the left of the URL. For example, if on Amazon, you’ll see it to the left of https://www.amazon.com. The lock means that your connection is encrypted, so the data you send to Amazon can only be understood by Amazon, and not someone sneaking around in between you and the store. This applies to any site where you enter in secure information, so be mindful that the lock is there before you share anything personal.

Naturally, this is a very shallow dive into how to surf the web more securely. In fact, this is barely dipping a toe into the water. For more details, reach out to Macro Systems by calling 703-359-9211.