29-11-2023 08:22:48
When you want to make your home secure, you lock the door. When you want to prevent your bike from being stolen, you use a bike lock. When you want to protect your valuable possessions, you keep them in a safe. But what do you do to protect your identity online? We put together a comprehensive internet safety guide full of cybersecurity tips and best practices to help keep you safe online. Looking for information about a specific online safety topic? , Continue reading.
This guide covers a variety of cybersecurity topics, including some things most people don’t think about when considering online safety. From tips for creating a strong password to advice about protecting your identity while on vacation, we’re sharing everything the average internet user needs to know to stay safe online.
Cybersecurity is simply a general term for technologies, practices and processes used to protect online data from unauthorized access or misuse. Everyday, people play a part in cybersecurity when they follow internet safety tips and cybersecurity best practices. In this piece, we’ll discuss what we mean when we say cybersecurity, and why it’s important. We’ll also share about cybersecurity trends and various tips for maintaining privacy and security on the internet.
When it comes to learning about cybersecurity and internet safety, it can feel like wading through a lot of technical jargon. There are many helpful cybersecurity terms to know, but we’re sharing just a few of the most common online safety buzzwords:
Modern life is fundamentally intertwined with the internet. Nearly every daily task now has opportunity for online integration, and most everyone owns multiple devices, including laptops, phones, tablets, smart watches, smart TVs and more. The more accounts and devices you have online, the greater the potential is for criminals to access your personal information and take advantage of you.
Online safety is important no matter your age or life stage, but there are particular concerns for certain vulnerable groups like children, teenagers and senior citizens.
Parents, this section is for you. If you have children of any age, you need a strategy for how to keep your kids safe online. The internet can be a great tool for learning and entertainment, but children should only look at age-appropriate images, videos and information.
Parental controls and content filters are a great place to start. Search engines have “safe search” features for filtering objectionable content, and there are even special search engines for kids. Cell phones also have parental control options and apps to help parents keep kids safe while online. Unfortunately, some hackers and online predators find ways to bypass filters and censorship efforts.
Some content that appears to be designed for children may have hidden disturbing violent or sexual content. When it doubt, be cautious. Watch videos before children are allowed to watch them, and be wary of games with built-in chat functions. Encourage your children to avoid talking to strangers online, and make sure they’re aware of online dangers. There’s no need to be paranoid, just take basic safety precautions, monitor your children’s internet usage and talk to them about how to stay safe online.
As kids grow up, they will use the internet without direct supervision. We encourage parents to continue having conversations about cybersecurity and online safety in order to ensure teenagers are creating healthy internet habits. Here are some quick internet safety tips for teens:
Teenagers and young adults may be more susceptible to certain types of online scams, like student loan forgiveness scams. Protecting kids online starts with teaching foundational internet safety tips at a young age.
Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to online scams and hoaxes. Scammers take advantage of seniors because many seniors have a lifetime’s worth of savings, home equity and other valuable assets. Studies have shown that older Americans are less likely to report fraud because they may not know how to report a scam or they may be ashamed about being the victim of a scam. In order to prevent scams against the elderly, we want to make sure seniors — and their loved ones and caregivers — are aware of common cybersecurity best practices and tips for staying safe online.
Some seniors become victims of elder financial abuse, which occurs when an individual misuses their privileged access to an older person’s financial information. Instead of helping them manage their money and make wise decisions, the financial abuser will perhaps steal money and use it for their own gain.
Some scammers also manipulate seniors with family emergency scams. In a family emergency scam, an imposter chooses a victim and contacts them, claiming to be their grandchild or other loved one. These scammers usually say they’re in trouble — in jail, in the hospital, in a foreign country — and they need money right away. These imposters may be very convincing, using personal family information to fool their victims.
If you’re interested in learning more about online scams, jump down to the scams section of this article.
When it comes to internet safety, it’s best to start with the basics. We have come up with 7 tips to guide you as you evaluate your online habits and make small changes to ensure your privacy and security on the internet.
It’s important to protect your personal information offline, too, because once sensitive information is stolen it can be proliferated online. Remember tips like shielding the PIN pad when you make purchases and learning how to spot a credit card skimmer at gas pumps. Using a chip debit card is another way to protect your financial information. The more sophisticated chip technology is just one reason why the chip card is more secure than the traditional magnetic strip debit card.
A little bit of vigilance goes a long way when it comes to protecting your identity online. Adding an extra layer of security can be as simple as keeping an eye on your accounts, looking out for suspicious activity and shredding sensitive documents. Some data breaches are out of our control, like when retailers or other companies get hacked. We have to trust certain entities to hand personal data, but we encourage people to do all they can to protect their private information.
Complete privacy is difficult in the digital age, so users must be cautious and wary. Take these precautions to make sure identity thieves don’t steal your personal information.
Keeping an eye on your credit is an important way to make sure no one is trying to mess with your personal financial information. If you want to see who is making inquiries about you credit, you can request a free credit report from any of the three national credit reporting companies:
We recommend reviewing your credit reports occasionally in order to make sure there is no suspicious activity and everything appears as expected.
If you want an extra layer of protection, a credit freeze is an effective line of defense against fraud and identity theft. As of September 2018, there is no cost, so learn how to freeze your credit for free.
Pay attention to statements, receipts and bills. If you’re signed up for electronic bills or statements, it’s easy for them to get lost in your email inbox. Regularly looking at statements will help you notice if there is suspicious activity happening in any of your accounts. If you become a target for fraud, you’ll want to catch it as soon as possible and contact your bank for help.
Don’t throw sensitive documents in the trash! Use a paper shredder or shredding service to dispose of anything with your full name, phone number, address, social security number, bank account information or other private personal details. Check out this helpful shredding guide, and consider shredding documents such as:
You’re more vulnerable to certain types of fraud and identity theft while traveling. If you want to protect your identity online while traveling, take extra precautions. Let your bank know where you’re going and how long you’ll be gone and ask the post office to hold your mail. If any bills are due while you’re gone, see if you can plan payments before you leave.
While you’re on your trip, observe extra safety measures to protect your personal items and information.
Online banking and mobile banking apps can be a safe and convenient way to manage your finances, but it’s important to follow cybersecurity best practices in order to protect your personal financial information. With online bank accounts, it’s especially important to choose a strong password. Hackers will go to great lengths to gain access to your personal financial information, so your bank accounts need to be protected and secured.
Choosing a reputable bank is also crucial. Look for an FDIC-insured bank. FDIC insurance is an industry standard for banking legitimacy. Read more tips for how to bank safely online:
Sometimes, online criminals use manipulative methods to gain access to a person’s private information. Instead of guessing your password or attempting to steal your account information, they use sneaky techniques like trying to get emotionally close to you or impersonating one of your friends on social media. The scammer may end up soliciting money from you, accessing your personal data or installing malware on your devices. Here are a few common online scams to avoid:
Online romance scammers will manipulate their victims by forming an intimate personal connection and then using the relationship to try to gain access to personal and financial information. All ages are susceptible to online dating scams, but studies have shown that senior citizens are particularly vulnerable. Help protect seniors online by educating them about the dangers of online romance scammers.
Online scammers are always coming up with new ways to manipulate people on the internet. Be on the lookout for social media scams like fake profiles, catfishing, gossip clickbait, job offer scams and fake online scams. A good rule of thumb is to always check the validity of a website before allowing it to access your personal information. Never click on suspicious links, and don’t fill out online forms unless the website is legitimate and secure.
Text message scams can be a combination of various other online scams, including phishing links, gossip clickbait and other misleading and malicious forms of fraud. Remember that banks, government entities and other legitimate companies will never ask for personal or financial information in a text message, so never send your private information in an unsecure text message thread. Only give personal information via legitimate and secure website portals.
Phishing is a form of cyber attack that entices users into clicking on a link that will compromise private data. Email phishing scams typically include enticing offers for gift cards or other free items. Always assume that if an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. These types of online scams are especially prevalent during the holiday season, so be alert and don’t let holiday scams ruin your holidays!
Email phishing scams are constantly changing and evolving as scammers try to come up with new ways to take advantage of people. Stay vigilant, don’t click on suspicious links and check the FTC scam alerts list to learn about new scams.
In this modern world, internet safety is a lifelong concern. As technology changes and evolves, learning how to avoid identity theft online will be an ongoing process. Security National Bank is here to help. Our goal is to keep you and your money safe! We’re your resource for information about the latest cybersecurity trends and tips. Reach out to us if you have any questions about how to stay safe online, and sign up for our newsletter if you want new financial security and internet safety tips delivered straight to your email inbox.