On social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter it is very important not to share your password with anyone, and to not add people you do not know in real life, as they may potentially be hackers, and this could result in someone taking over your account and committing identity fraud. Furthermore, personal pictures must not be posted on social networking sites without being certain that the security and privacy settings are set to "friends only". If everyone online is able to access your pictures there is a possibility that your images will be stolen and used for other purposes.
E-mails are an easy way of allowing viruses to infiltrate the systems of many people. These e-mails are often disguised as money making scams or even anti-virus programs. However, there are many simple approaches that you can take to ensure you are protected from e-mail viruses.
For example;
- Do not open e-mails in the "Junk" or "Spam" folder - these are marked for your safety.
- Do not open e-mails sent by friends which have an irrelevant message and a random link.
- Never download attachments in e-mails from people you do not know.
Personal safety must be protected while browsing the internet. Any personal information or detail should not be given out under any circumstances.This can include your last name, home address, post code, town, names of your siblings or parents or any other family member. Being safe online averts the need of worrying about being hacked or having your identity stolen. Private pictures should not be posted on public sites. Passwords that are used should be changed at least once a month, and preferably with a mixture of letters and numbers, to ensure maximum protection.
When purchasing items on-line, it is imperative that you check the address bar begins with "https://". The "s" stands for secure, and so if a website has this you can be confident that it is safe and your information will not be stolen. Using official websites to purchase items through such as Pay Pal is useful as Pay Pal is trusted. Otherwise, unofficial websites could misuse your card details, or you may not even get what you attempted to purchase. Making sure you follow these rules could potentially save your identity - or your computer!
