Most times, as you look to enhance your productivity online or for fun. You overlook your online safety. As you go through your many open tabs, cyber security is not something you are thinking of, unless your computer is infected. It may be on the news daily or even weekly, but most internet users are not keen on considering online safety.
Just as we intentionally take precautions to keep our homes and belongings safe, in the same way, we should invest in resources to secure our digital lives. Cyber threats and attacks are not scarce and come in all sizes, shapes, and outcomes.
5 Online Habit Examples Compromising Your Online Safety
Below are some online habits that make you vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
1. Opting To Be Curious Over Being Cautious
Curiosity will get your personal computer infected with malware, and the results are irreversible. The web is full of clickbait, attention-grabbing headlines that are begging you to click. Sometimes, it may be legitimate and safe content. However, sometimes it may lead you to malicious destinations, such as phishing websites that cybercriminals are getting good at impersonating.
Therefore, it is vital to check before you click, for instance, if the pirate bay site you are visiting is the legitimate one. And keep an eye out of trouble by learning how to be safe, for just browsing a website can infect you.
2. Using Weak Passwords And Reusing Them
This advice should be on every website and application. If you are a consistent online user, weak passwords will compromise data breaches. Common weak passwords are 12345 and the word password or your name. If you are still using such passwords, it is best to change them.
Poor choice of passwords is a security threat to your data. If cybercriminals can hack NASA, cracking your 1234 password will not take them long. Reusing these weak passwords for other accounts you have, makes the situation worse. Remember, cybercriminals have many objectives. You can be a means to an end or the target.
3. Opening Emails From Strangers
Everyone gets a lot of spam emails. Most of them can even have catchy headlines on a discount on a product you love. But, please, avoid opening them by any means. Spam emails come loaded with malware, threats, ransomware and clutter your inbox. Therefore, before opening it, verify the sender. After, send it to spam if the unsolicited email made it in your inbox. Sometimes you may feel the temptation to reply to them, but this is a trick too, to make you open the email. Therefore, avoid doing this by any means and delete such emails to protect your data and stay safe.
4. Sharing Your Private Life On Social Media
Oversharing on social media is a big privacy problem and a cyber-security issue as well. All the information you post online is enough for cybercriminals to use to compromise you or against you. Sharing baby pictures divulges information about your family and provides your background to cybercriminals as checking in at home reveals your location. For this reason, sharing less is wiser. If you feel it is necessary for your online brand, take enough precautions and know the risks.
5. Connecting To Public Wi-Fi
How many times do you connect to public Wi-Fi? Either at the mall, coffee shop, or the bar because you are bored or to show a funny video to a friend. Since Wi-Fi is free, in most cases, and you need to check your email. It sounds convenient for you. Unfortunately, not only are public Wi-Fi networks unsafe, but they are easy to hack. Cybercriminals can collect a lot of information you receive and send. More so, if you don’t take any precautions to be safe online. However, if you have to use public Wi-Fi, consider ways to stay safe.
The Final Verdict
To sum up, the above are some of the bad habits people have. Poor online habits endanger not only your data but your digital life. Therefore, it is vital to take adequate security measures to prevent potential cyber-attacks. As a frequent user, always take responsibility for your online safety as the cyber security industry works around the clock to minimize the risks.
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