The internet is a wonderful place where users can communicate with each other all over the world. However, because of its size and reach, many, many people use it for criminal purposes. That means that anyone using the internet could be at risk of becoming a victim themselves.
Even though this seems like an extreme situation (and hopefully you won’t find yourself in one), here are some easy steps to prevent becoming a victim on the internet.
First off, you should do your best to not put any personal information online that would make you vulnerable to identity theft or scams. This includes but is not limited to: name, address, addresses linked to social media accounts (living alone? A house number might be enough), and the like. This is especially true of passwords and login information–if it can be guessed, it can be hacked.
Secondly, even if you’ve done your best to keep yourself safe from hackers and criminals already, there’s always a chance that some will get past basic security measures. That means it’s incredibly important to update any software (Windows/Apple/Android etc.) as quickly as possible if an update is available on websites such as https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/. It also means that no matter how unlikely something seems, it’s worth checking online for viruses using websites such as https://www.avast.com/, just in case–you might not wish to do so every day though! Finally, if you ever feel that someone is watching or following you online, do your best to just leave the site and go somewhere else. It’s always better to be safe than sorry–and this could save your life and/or property.
Another good tip for staying safe on the internet is to back up everything. Since so much of our lives are stored online nowadays (such as bank account information), it’s important to keep a copy of everything offline in case something happens such as a hacking attempt. This can be done by connecting an external device such as a flash drive or hard drive to one’s computer and using software programs such as https://www.google.com/search?q=free+backup+software&oq=free+backup+software&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l2j69i60l2.1292j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#q=free+file+backup+software to format the device and save all information from your computer on it. This is a good way to keep important and irreplaceable files safe, in case something happens (such as a fire or theft) to your home
Finally, there’s an app out there called https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sufficientlysecure.keychain that will help you to keep track of all your passwords and login information for different sites. This can help make sure that if one of your accounts is hacked, the perpetrator doesn’t have access to all of your other accounts as well.