As the world is becoming more digitalised, it is more important than ever to ensure you and your family are protected while online. There are a growing number of threats, including viruses, scams, and AI-powered attacks, to be wary of.
With that in mind, there are some simple precautions you can take to keep your family safe from cybercrimes. We’ve listed some top online safety tips below to help you stay safe while you’re online.
Teach Kids About Privacy
One of the most important things you can do to keep your kids safe is teach them about the importance of online privacy. As a rule, they should avoid sharing personal or sensitive information, such as their full name, birthday, address, and contact information.
Children can be very trusting, so hackers and online criminals often try to take advantage of this and access private information that they can later exploit. With this in mind, they should also only interact with people that they know. Sharing a stranger’s post, for instance, can open the door to communicating with individuals who may be posing as children.
Passwords & Two-Factor Authentication
While most people are used to creating strong and unique passwords, this isn’t always enough. Passwords can be exposed, granting cyber criminals access unless you have additional security measures in place.
Setting up two-factor authentication is a great way to add another layer of protection, and there are several methods you can choose from. Some options may require you to use a dedicated app, like Microsoft or Google Authenticator, while others allow you to use your phone number.
This additional security works by generating a one-time code to approve any login attempts. In other words, every sign-in attempt needs physical approval from a trusted device.
Back up Important Files
From bank statements and financial records to personal details and government sign-ins, keeping your personal data safe and secure is vital in the modern age. Since data can easily be damaged, lost, or corrupted, having backups in place is an excellent idea.
To limit issues as much as possible, we recommend having multiple backups of crucial information in different places. For example, you might have one copy on an external hard drive, while another is saved on cloud storage.
Keep Devices Updated
One final point to consider is that devices should always be updated to the latest software version. That’s because each update comes with a variety of bug fixes and security features designed to close any vulnerabilities and prevent hackers from accessing your devices.