Technology has brought so many opportunities to life for people. This can include working remotely from anywhere in the world or having a wealth of information at your fingertips. With all of the positive aspects of technology and the internet, there are negative aspects brought about by malicious people. Children need to be especially careful online as they might fall for certain tricks an adult would not. Staying proactive about online safety is essential as you would rather be too careful than not careful enough. The following are things that you and your family need to watch out for online in today’s age.
Scammers
The number of online scams that are around are numerous to say the least. Some of these scams start from a phone call telling someone their car warranty is expiring or Apple account has been compromised. These people steal information from the computers of others and might even directly steal money. Others will threaten to steal your money even though they do not have actual access to it. Never allow anyone to take control of your computer unless it is someone you know works for Apple or Microsoft. You call in rather than having them call you just to be safe from the number listed online rather than one you received in a voicemail.
Malware and Hacks
Companies of all sizes have had issues with data leaks whether it was of their employees or of customers. These leaks in some cases led to lawsuits with millions of dollars in compensation being paid. Running a malware check weekly should allow you to detect any viruses and eradicate them. Avoid visiting areas online that are not trusted as this is asking for trouble. If your browser doesn’t think it is a good idea to visit a site, the odds are you should not be doing so. You do not want a hack impacting your personal or professional life for an extended period.
Predators
Predators online exist although this has gone predominantly to the dark web. There are children’s games that had chat features that predators targeted online. Talking to your children about never meeting anyone they got to know online is essential. The last thing that you want is something bad to happen due to a failure of having this conversation with your child. Sex crimes occur daily so make sure that you monitor your children’s online activity and put in parental restriction apps.
Identity Thieves
Getting your identity stolen can take years to recover from. A thief can ruin your credit which can feel impossible to repair. There are identity theft prevention services online that you need to look into. The last thing you want is loans taken out in your name that you are responsible for paying. Keep a top cybersecurity software running on your computer as you will not regret it.
Staying careful online is all about staying on trusted sites and not clicking on anything in an email from someone you do not know. Copying and pasting information can allow you to detect certain scams as they usually run on a few scripts.