Undoubtedly, the Internet is an essential part of everyday life for nearly everyone worldwide. Through Internet tools, access to information and easy communication between people has been made easy and convenient. As the number of people using the Internet increases, so do the internet-related risks and threats.
What Can Be Online Dangers?
Relevant authorities in the US, just as in many countries worldwide, have attempted to make laws to curb online dangers and threats like cyberbullying, malware, phishing, sexual predators, and pornography among other dangers. The interventions have not seen the desired success in the US, despite efforts by the federal government to formulate policies meant to reduce potential internet risks. One can apply several methods at a personal level to protect their data and personal information.
How To Protect Yourself?
1. Set strong password
For all your online accounts, use strong passwords. A strong password is an effective way to keep online strangers away from accessing your account. A password with a combination of uppercase, lowercase, and symbols is considered strong. Avoid using the word ‘password’ itself, normal words, a person’s name, or a pet name. Your password must be easy to remember for you but not for anyone else.
2. Don’t open mail from strangers
Do not open phishing emails with malware attachments. Cyber strangers like using phishing scam tactics to access personal information and data. Be careful because many fake emails always appear to come from authorized sources like government entities and banks—endeavor to verify the sender’s identity before acting on suspicious addresses or links.
3. Use two-factor authentication
Using two-factor authentication significantly reduces the risk of online dangers and unauthorized access to your online accounts. Even when a stranger compromises your account and knows your password, an account with two-factor authentication is not easily accessed. If a stranger is trying to log in, a verification code will be sent to your phone, thereby alerting you of unauthorized access being made.
4. Avoid using unsecured public Wi-Fi
As much as public Wi-Fi is convenient and accessible, you can make your personal information vulnerable to predatory practices by accessing unsecured Wi-Fi on your devices. Keep off unsecured Wi-Fi as much as possible. For your internet needs, always use your VPN on your own devices whenever you are away from home. Many people have had serious data interceptions from using unsecured public Wi-Fi, especially when doing sensitive transactions such as online banking.
5. Be careful with financial information
Be mindful whenever you do financial transactions online because this is where many hackers focus their attention. Avoid saving your financial information on websites that you interact with regularly, even if they are websites from trusted sources, as they can suffer from data breaches at any time. Ensure any online purchases using a credit card are made from encrypted sites.
6. Help your family
Your family, and especially children, can be at risk of online cybercrime. Take the right precautions to safeguard your family. Your home internet security is paramount because all your family members and visitors also use it. Educate everyone around you to keep the network safe, and also let your young ones know the online dangers and how to avoid them. Create a strong password and two-factor authentication for your home internet too.
What Consequences Can Be?
Cyberbullying
Victims of cyberbullying suffer from a loss of confidence and constant fear. It is worse when online attacks touch on their persons as human beings, their race, color, gender, and sexual orientation. We have seen this play out in sports, where many victim athletes have had to constantly call on social media companies to act on anonymous accounts. The Internet offers immense opportunities, but users must be continuously wary of its threats. Online threats like cyberbullying have serious consequences for the victims and society.
Invasion of privacy
Invasion of privacy is the access to one’s data and information without their consent and can be very distressing, particularly if the accessed information is sensitive. When sensitive personal information is accessed online, the effects are long-lasting and sometimes embarrassing. Social media platforms have unfortunately been harboring cyber stalkers who have taken advantage of the inadequacy of the laws that govern their use.
Invasion of privacy gives rise to emotional and psychological harm to the victims and causes anxiety and depression. In extreme cases, cyberbullying can affect the victim’s mental well-being and can lead to suicide. Online strangers like using anonymous identities to target their victims, making it difficult for authorities to track and apprehend them.
Hormonal imbalances can aggravate feelings of fear and depression, leading to serious mental health issues. Mental examination of (human growth hormone) hgh results before and after, show that low levels of hgh cause depression and a myriad of other health problems including anxiety and brain fog.
Identity theft
Offensive images and messages
Sharing offensive images and messages online dents one’s reputation and leads to embarrassment, especially if they are sexual in nature. Once released, the images and messages can be difficult to remove, causing shame and harm at the time of posting and lasting for a long time.
Data Loss
The threats of cyberbullying and online attacks lead to data loss, especially when hackers successfully gain access to a victim’s devices or accounts. The loss of data can lead to compromised systems for organizations and lost money for individuals.
Conclusion
Protecting yourself from online attacks and cyberbullying is essential, and these steps can help you maintain your privacy and security whether you are an active social media user or doing online transactions. For those who are interested in finding out more about a safe and secure online, get in touch with our online experts. You can also regularly visit our website and subscribe to our services to ensure you do not miss any of our articles.
