How to protect yourself online

Nowadays, various crimes are committed on the internet – identity theft, fraud, unlawful financial transactions, misappropriation of personal data, collection of information about a person’s private life and its disclosure. People may even be stalked online. There are several ways you can protect yourself online.   

• Ensure that your computer has a firewall and a regularly updated antivirus software.
• If you receive strange e-mail letters, delete them immediately without opening. Install a spam filter.
• Regularly change your passwords and make them as long as possible. Have a different password for each site and do not share it.
• When shopping online, make sure that the supplier can be trusted – search for more information about him.
• Activate child protection functions on your web browser – they will help you protect your children from unsafe websites.
• Monitor with whom your children communicate online – in chatrooms and social networks. Talk to your children about online safety.
• Protect your wireless (Wi-Fi) home network with a password.
• Review what information about you is available online and make sure to publish as little of your personal information as possible.
• Avoid public forums.
• Do not send private information when using a public Wi-Fi network.
• Review your privacy and security settings in your e-mail and social networking accounts.
• Limit personal and financial information that you share online.
• If you use dating sites, avoid using your real name. Do not indicate your surname, workplace or other details by which you can be identified.
• Remember that provocative user names can attract unwanted attention.
• Do not write your contact details in your profile description – phone number, home address or e-mail address. Disclose information about yourself gradually.
• Stop communicating with a person if he is forcing you to share personal or financial information, or is coaxing you to give away private information.
• Do not connect to personal accounts on public or shared computers.
• Share these tips with your family, friends and loved ones.