Whereas once upon a time the only safe one had to be concerned about was that on the street and in our homes, the internet has created a whole new world of potential theft, scamming, and bullying. This threat is only getting stronger, as more and more people across the world have ready access to the internet.
It’s extremely important to take every precaution you can in order to not fall victim to any of these risks. Companies like AnonymSMS which allows you to receive SMS online are a great example of the services available to help, which is why we’ve created this article about the measures you can take in order to offer you the safest online experience possible.
Keep Personal Information Limited
The less personal information you put online, the better. You wouldn’t go up to a random person in the street and tell them your likes, dislikes, or your relationship status, would you? Funny, because so many people deem this to be the ‘norm’ on their social media profiles.
These are such simple things that most don’t see an issue with sharing; but these details allow fraudsters to have a better understanding of you, the things you’re into, and the types of sites you frequent, and from this information, they can form an educated guess about what your password could be, and could even gather enough information for identity fraud – meaning they can steal your identity and even go as far as to using your credit cards and bank accounts.
So, to sum up, offer limited personal information on your social media platforms and elsewhere online, keep the security to a high level if you have the option to, and be aware of the information you share and how it could offer others the chance to take advantage of you.
Choose A Strong Password
Choosing a strong password is essential. On the back of what we’ve said above, the information you provide online – be it on your social media accounts or elsewhere – can easily give fraudsters a good idea of what you may put for your passwords.
Historically, people used the names of their kids, things they were interested in, and places they loved. This puts you at greater risk. It is becoming more and more popular to make passwords more complicated, and in no way related to any of your likes, interests, or family members. This means that the chances of someone cracking your passwords are next to none.
If somebody can’t access your password, there is much less chance of you facing security threats online.
Use A Temporary Number Service For Verification
This is a slightly newer measure that people are taking to protect themselves online, but still absolutely one of the most important. Services to receive sms online such as AnonymSMS offer the free use of temporary numbers to receive SMS verification online.
Every time you register to use a new app, you’ll need to enter a number to receive a verification code. This is, to all intent and purposes, a single-use password that you’ll need to enter into the app in order to authenticate your registration and access it.
Without this, you won’t be able to complete your registration. Thing is, if you do use your personal number, this can also compromise your online security as it’s one more thing that links all of your digital activity and will also make you prone to unwanted sales and marketing correspondence.
AnonymSMS is definitely your best bet here and is clearly way ahead of the rest. This is because, not only is their service entirely free, but they also add new numbers every single day, meaning there’s no chance of numbers facing delays or overburn.
It also requires no registration details at all, maintaining your privacy and security. Choose from numbers all across the world. You’ll have to pay for the use of temporary numbers for other companies, and numbers are not added often enough for SMS to be received quickly enough.
Only Use Secure Sites For Online Purchases
This is one of the age-old ones that people have been advised about for years. Using unsecured websites for online purchases leaves you open to serious danger.
On these sites, there are no mechanisms in place to ensure your payment details are kept safe and secure, meaning it’s all too easy for hackers to access your payment details and use them.
Unless you’re using a secure credit card that insures you for such situations, it’s highly likely that, if your card details fall into the hands of someone else, you will not be able to get the money back that they have spent.
So, with this in mind, always keep an eye out for site verification that ensures that any payments that are made are safe and secure.
Keep Antivirus Software Up To Date
As the basis of all secure internet, activity should be good-quality, updated antivirus software.
If you have a good one, it will be able to detect any unsecured websites or activity and alert you if you need to update your software.
While it can cost a fair amount to have this software, you’ll ultimately be better off because it makes the chances of you being scammed and falling victim to fraud a lot less likely.
So there you have it. Our five top tips that – should you choose to follow – will do wonders at increasing your online safety.
