The Dark Web ( Concluding part)
Basic tips on Internet Safety (from my miniscule experience)
Scenario 1979 at my parent’s house: My father would buy only
Godrej Navtal (gleaming round brass) locks for the gates and house.
Scenario 1990 at my house: I was fascinated by the modern
locks that we could lock without a key. Just press and it locks. The dainty key
would be used to unlock.
Scenario 2021: I am more worried about my Virtual safety!
Abstract clouds and passwords!
Gosh I love Alibaba (of
the 40 thieves fame) who was so futuristic to have a password for his magical
cave.
How do we keep ourselves safer in the Virtual world?
1.
On the phone – Download Google Drive on your
phone. Save the important information (PIN/passwords etc )on the drive. This
can be accessed only by you and anywhere. It is safer than saving it on the
Notes folder in case the phone gets misplaced. Use face recognition or
thumbprint recognition.
2.
Phone password- use the face recognition/ fingerprint
in addition to number lock (latter can be cracked). Here I would like to
mention that apple phones offer more cyber security than android phones.
Disclaimer: I am not promoting iPhone; just stating a fact
3.
Email: Chrome has improved its safety features. Chrome
has a tab (Settings) to check for password safety. Ideally please do not use
your/ family’s birthdates/anniversaries (however tempting). Nowadays most sites
ask us to use upper case, lowercase, number, and a special character. Use the
TWO FACTOR authentication wherever the options are. If you haven’t changed
passwords in the past one year, then it is time to do so.
4.
Social Media and Internet- Clear the
cookies/browsing history frequently. It does make it difficult when you must
sign into your preferred sites, but it is safer. Do change passwords consistently.
Reach out to your friend when you receive a request or a text on Messenger (FB)
before accepting.
5.
Posting personal Pictures – Being conscious of
what you are posting helps. Is the picture showcasing my room? My house? My
location? My wealth and artefacts? My travel plans. My personal information… I
knew a friend (a doctor) who had the IT dept running behind him whilst he was
posting his Europe tour pics! By the way our real-time backgrounds on platforms
like zoom/ google meet can reveal a lot. To add to this- it is the same with
our personal posts. They can reveal important information to predators.
6.
Allowing chrome to save passwords maybe easy but
safest is to use password management systems like The Last Pass. All passwords
can be safely stored, edited, or selected in the vaults. The Last Pass is safe.
It is easy to maintain.
7.
Nowadays Windows comes with Defender to
safeguard against malware and virus. If not Norton and other programs are
available for free. Do take care to use the respective company sites. When we
need to download any app or program it is wisest to choose the official site.
For e.g. I wanted to download WhatsApp on my desktop. I found various sites
offering the download.
8.
Safe sites would have a ‘lock’ icon ahead of ‘https://’
9.
Update Windows on your computer or laptop when
you receive the notification. Updating the software on phone is also equally
important as newer versions improve the safety features.
10.
Tempting job offers, festival discounts,
surprise gifts lure us with easy to click links. Deleting the messages and
mails immediately help. Checking the mail id before replying/ clicking links
would help. False ids are eerily like the original. Look out for the
font/spelling/logo etc.
11.
Banks will never ask for our confidential
information via message/call/mail. If ever you receive any call especially
sharing of credit card/OTP- cut the call. Call your bank/relationship
manager/visit the branch to verify. Listening to OTP on speaker mode is unsafe (laughable
but I have seen people doing this)
12.
There is never a free lunch in life hence
schemes/job offers that tantalize are a BIG NO.
13.
Those who have teens and children please use the
parental controls and keep reminding about safety. They would get irritated,
but safety ought not to be compromised.
14.
Just as in the physical world, we are wary of
strangers, seek second opinion, verify/clarify it is crucial to carry out the
same in the Virtual world.
15.
In case of any fraud/ cybercrime please REACH
out (immediately) to the nearest police station to report as soon as possible.
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