The popular social media management platform HootSuite has released its “Digital in 2018” report of social media and digital trends around the world. The report revealed that the Philippines now has 67 million Internet users, with all of them active on social media. This widespread use of the internet gives rise to the emergence of Internet-related crimes such as rape, theft, bullying, and piracy which made the public, especially the youth, very vulnerable.
Here are some of my tips on protecting your personal information and avoid threats in this digital age:
Be aware of using public computers and Wi-Fi
Using public computers in Internet Cafes and other public places can pose a threat to your login information. Most of this computers are infected with viruses and malware that can sniff your personal information.
The best way to avoid this threat if ever you need to use a public computer is to use the private window of the browser you will be using. This is incognito window when you are using the Chrome browser found on the upper right side of the browser. After using the computer, be sure to log out all the sites you visited and close the browser. To make sure, you can also clear the cache found in the browser settings to have no traces of your usages before closing the browser you are using.
When using public Wi-Fi be sure you are connecting to the legitimate hotspot because there are instances that hackers can create a fake free Wi-Fi hotspot that will siphon all your login information. The best way to avoid this is to use a VPN app on your smartphone. This will make a point-to-point connection from your smartphone to the server you are using.
Using a good password
When using a password, be sure you are not recycling it to your different login profiles. Use a combination of letters and numbers to avoid easy guessing of the password. The best way is to use a password manager on your personal computers like LastPass and other good password managers.
Don’t be fooled by Phishing
Phishing can be hard to detect if you are a newbie, it comes in the form of an email or shared on social media sites like on Facebook. Be aware and avoid clicking right away any links you found on the Internet and think first if something is not right.
With numerous threats that come along our digital age, it’s good that Globe Telecom, being a purveyor of the digital lifestyle, came out with the #makeITsafePH cybersecurity and cyber-wellness campaign to educate consumers about online threats and what they can do to avoid becoming a victim. The campaign also teaches the public proper online etiquette so that they would not become a source of such deplorable behavior.
As a rule of thumb in the digital age, think before you click to avoid any bad repercussion on your digital life.
