Internet safety rules everyone should follow when online 

The internet is one of humanity's greatest discoveries. Since it's become so inconspicuous in a short time, nowadays, it's easy to be unwittingly unaware of all the benefits it has brought and how complicated life would be in its absence.

If you were to have all internet access removed for one week, you'd see that life would become significantly more complicated.

Not only would you lack a lot of entertainment (from streaming services to online shopping), but it would also be more difficult for you to complete your job tasks since nearly all professions are now closely associated with technology. 

However, you must also be aware of the hazards when you're online. Hackers get malware and spyware to pose as legitimate apps, websites, software, or emails. The internet is evolving daily and so are the methods of internet attack. For instance, After a malicious program has infected your computer, it becomes relatively easy for cybercriminals to access your private information and wreak havoc.

Your computer may become so severely affected that the only solution is reinstalling your operating system, so you definitely want to avoid malware at all costs.

Here are some internet safety rules you should follow to keep your information secure.

 1. Don’t share too much

One of the best things about the internet is how it helps foster connections with other people. If friends or relatives have moved out of town, you can keep in touch no matter how many miles separate you.

Moreover, you can also develop friendships with people you’ve never met in real life but encountered on forums and social media platforms.

Finding someone to share your passions can be challenging if you have niche hobbies like making food preserves or bookbinding, but this is exactly what the internet is for. Given the way it connects people living half a world away from each other, you’ll be able to find a community that’s perfect for you. 

However, making online friends can be tricky. Because in some cases, the friendship isn’t real, and it’s all a ruse to attract you in a scam.

The way this works is that a hacker will pose as your friend to gain your trust then, after they consider that enough time has passed, they’ll move on to try and extract sensitive information from you. This can include anything from your personal ID information to bank details.

For example, if you’re involved in trading and investing in crypto, they may ask you to share your private keys or passwords. They may give various reasons for doing this, and since you trust them, you won’t realize something’s wrong until it’s too late.

Other private information, such as your full name or those of family members, life events, where you went to school, and so on, can be used to crack the security questions you’ve established for your accounts. 

If anyone asks for your personal information, you should be highly suspicious of their intentions. Remember that even if you think you know them well enough, there’s no way to be 100% sure of who’s behind that screen.

Don’t share your private info with anyone and, for extra precautions, interrupt all further contact with them. 

 2. Reliable websites

There are nearly 2 billion websites on the internet, so you’ve got plenty of options when browsing the web. However, not all web pages are created equal. Some are insecure, and you cannot trust them with personal information such as your bank data.

You must always ensure your connection is encrypted if you’re a fan of online shopping. This way, even if hackers attack the website, they won’t be able to read your private details. You can tell that the network is secure when you see the little padlock symbol in the URL line. 

Another way to gauge a serious site is by analyzing how it looks. Is the site neat, or does the page have a lot of spelling mistakes? Do the images fit your screen correctly?

Are ads organic-looking, or do they obscure the main content and make it difficult to see the content you came to see? If something doesn’t look right, it’s better to be safe rather than sorry and leave the page. 

In case the unfortunate occurs and a hacker attack has targeted your private information, your best option is to contact data breach lawyers in the UK.

They can provide comprehensive advice on what you need to do to have a successful case. Data infringement events can be very destructive, and solving them is usually lengthy.

On top of the threat to your identity and finances, you may also struggle with mental stress.

So, if online services that collect data neglect their duties towards you, you are fully within your rights to sue them for compensation and regain control of your life. 

 3. Two-factor authentication

You already know you should use a strong antivirus and change your passwords regularly. You’re also aware that you shouldn’t use the same or similar passcodes for all your accounts. That’s because if one of them gets compromised, all the others are at risk.

However, you may not be aware of the advantages of two-factor authentication. This method provides an additional layer of protection for your account. You’ll have to provide an additional code sent on your device to enter any account.

This combo of various numbers and letters is generated after you key in your password, so if someone else is trying to log in, they won’t be able to. 

Moreover, you’ll be alerted if suspicious activity is on your account. If an unknown device has tried to log in, you’ll be informed and instructed on what to do next to secure your data. 

The internet is amazing. It provides education and entertainment and is the main resource we use when completing our work. However, you must follow basic safety rules to protect yourself from dangers.