Online Safety: How it affects you
Online Safety effects everyone, every day. From Gen alpha to baby boomers and everybody else in between, it is essential that we all understand and can recognise how to keep ourselves and others safe on these platforms that we love and use seamlessly. Whether you are shopping, learning, communicating or simply watching the newest, hottest show, risks such as cyber bullying, scams and/or privacy breaches are all around us.
Throughout this blog, stay with me as I let you in some of my favourite tips and tricks on how to detect hidden potential threats, how keep yourself safe and how to keep others safe whilst surfing the web.
How to detect potential online threats:
There are many potential threats that we can be looking out for that reduces our risks and raises our safety when online. Some of these threats are obvious, and some… not so much. But don’t be alarmed, I am here to show you how all these threats can be turned into awareness.
For example, suspicious emails or messages. Keep your eyes peeled for emails that contain urgent messages such as “!Your account will be closed!” and requests for money. Your bank would never ask you for your sensitive or personal information via email or text messages.
Fake websites often include misspelled URL’s and offers that seem a little bit too good to be true. A huge red flag could be websites offering you 99% off your first purchase or £100 off your basket if you sign up to their newsletter. This is a key tactic to get you to input your personal information, which they should not have access to.
Ensure you know who you are always communicating with. Hackers hide behind a screen, and they could be pretending to be your friend in distress or a relative in need. It is important you do not respond to these messages but ask others around you first to confirm the information is true. Common mistakes that are easy to spot include spelling or grammar errors. Think to yourself, would this person say these things?
How to stay safe online:
It is imperative you think before you click! Once you have clicked on a spam link or downloaded a bad document, hackers can gain access to your personal information, including where you live and your bank details.
Remember, always:
- Block and report suspicious accounts
- Don't speak to strangers
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you do not know and have not met
- Ensure you have updated your privacy settings on social media
- Log out of shared computers
- Keep a look out for AI fake images and information
How to keep others safe online:
With the internet constantly evolving and emerging, it is important we carry those younger and older with us. Teaching your younger siblings or relatives how to stay safe online is an amazing way to keep them reminded of the potential threats that they could come across.
Older family members can even be fooled with the cleverness of AI technology, so make sure they are aware of these sometimes “foolproof” images. Encourage others to not send private information or images and to stand up to cyberbullying.
Some tips include:
- Think before you post
- Use secure passwords
- Don't share sensitive information
To summarize..
We need to come together and use the internet wisely and responsibly. Online safety is super important. Be aware of dangers lurking close by and stay alert when accessing websites and clicking on emails or ads. I hope this blog has helped and given you more information on online safety. For more of my favourite tips and tricks, follow my blog!
Don’t forget to comment your tips below and remember, we are all in this together.
We click better when we’re safe together.