AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – February 6th is World Safer Internet Day, an annual time when organizations, schools and businesses take time to highlight the importance of staying safe in the online world. .
This year’s theme is “Together for a Better Internet.”
Many of us spend too much time worrying about the wrong things. Worries about whether Facebook is listening to our conversations, whether the TV knows what we’re watching, whether Google is tracking our searches and location, and more.
These things make us uncomfortable, but here are six things to worry about when it comes to your online life.
If you pay close attention to at least six things, you’ll have less to worry about. The first is by clicking on the link.
Clicking on the wrong link, whether it’s an email or a Facebook message, can install malware on your computer, steal your financial information and data, and even have your every keystroke tracked.
Number 2: Use your credit card or bank website to do anything, including shopping, on a public WiFi network.
Instead of using the free internet at restaurants and coffee shops, turn off WiFi and use data or cell phone service.
Make sure you see 5G or LTE in the top right corner of your phone screen.
If you use a laptop, connect it to your phone’s hotspot. Number 3: Use the same password for everything.
This goes without saying. If someone steals her one password, they have all her passwords. Set a new unique password for each account.
Number 4: Engaging in fraudulent phone calls and emails. If you don’t recognize the number, hang up or don’t answer.
Many people seem to prefer “interacting” with robots and spammers. Resist the urge and ignore the phone call.
5: Log in to your account via the link you received via message or email. Access your account using your bank, credit card, or social media app instead of logging in through a link.
Scammers love to send messages and emails asking you to log in via a link.
In many cases, the link is not a direct link to your account, but rather a link to a fake website that captures your username and password.
Part 6: Share photos with strangers you meet online. This is especially important for middle school and high school students. Some of the most dangerous scams involve convincing young people to share racy or nude photos with people they meet online.
These scammers will extort more explicit photos or money by threatening to send the photos to your friends and family. While World Safer Internet Day is a great name for raising awareness, we prefer to simply call it “Be Careful Online” day.
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