Safety first…

Staying safe online has never been more difficult and has never been more necessary.  Everyone is out to get you and it would seem that everyone is ready to plant a malicious software on your computer so they can steal your information or ruin your day with a virus – nobody said it was a perfect world!

But how can we stay safe online when everyone is after us?

“It’ll never happen to me…”

Never be cocky when it comes to online safety.  As soon as you say that it won’t happen to you it most certainly will…

It is advisable to put aside at least 10 minutes a week to understand the latest security threats and advice to keep on top of the situation.

Antivirus Software

The biggest part of your defence will be a good, strong antivirus software.  Search around the Internet, look for advice, tips and comparison sites until you have found one that you feel will keep you safe.

Some applications are better for your needs than others – whilst one software might be good for me it might be awful for you so make sure the one you choose ticks all the boxes.

Firewall

Antivirus software is great but sometimes they can never be enough – using your firewall can sometimes be a great method of defence.  As with the antivirus software make sure to check around to make sure that the one you intend to use is the right one for your needs.

Be Wary of Email

Don’t believe everything you read – especially with incoming emails.  Viruses can be sent, even from your friends, without either the sender or you the recipient knowing.

Scan emails wherever possible and don’t download anything from an email unless you are expecting something or you are sure you can be safe.

Passwords

Some people like to use simple passwords so that they won’t forget them – passwords like “love”, “Christmas” or a birthday or surname are very nice but as protection they are rubbish!

Instead the more complex and abstract the better and although you might feel that you won’t be able to remember them you will find that after a short time they will become embedded into your mind.  You always have the opportunity of storing them in a secure location, such as a USB pen.

Spam

As a general rule you should never reply to any email that you receive if you don’t know who it is from but this rule especially applies with regards to Spam mail.  You don’t know who you are communicating with and the best bet is to stay away.

Backup

If the worst case scenario does indeed happen then you will be utterly damaged unless you have had the state of mind to backup when you had the ability.

Use whatever is at your disposal – DVDs, USBs, external hard drives…whatever you have, just get it done!

What do you think?

Is staying safe online one of your biggest worries or do you throw caution to the wind when you surf the World Wide Web?  Let us know…