If you’re a parent, you may have understandable concerns about making the internet experience a positive and safe one for your children. Online safety is an even more front-and-center issue today given the added reliance on the internet for work and school. While it’s absolutely important today to pay attention to how children of all age ranges access the information superhighway, it’s just as important for adults to be cautious about safety when online. As a matter of fact, the potential risks that apply to grownups can be just as impactful as the ones that commonly apply to younger internet users.
Whether you’re a busy working adult, one who happens to be a parent, or an older adult with more time to browse and enjoy online perks like watching your favorite TV shows and movies on your favorite streaming services, online shopping, and exploring social media, there are some safety tips to keep in mind. We highlight and run through this list below.
Think before You Post
Adults tend to use social media to do things like share family photos and details about enjoyable events, trips, or activities, and future travel plans. It’s perfectly fine to be in sharing mode when engaging via social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, but also take time to think before you post. When it comes to maintaining online safety, be cautious with posts that include:
• Specific details about dates and times when you’ll be away from home
• Anything that identifies your home’s exact location, like the house number
• Details about a fun day of “playing hooky” from work that could have unfortunate consequences for you when you get back in the office
Before you post, take a moment to objectively view what you wish to share. If it gives you any doubts or concerns, don’t post it.
Be Cautious with Personal Info
Fraudsters gain access to other peoples’ identities by gathering relevant and useful personal information that can be found online. Keep tech-savvy identity thieves and anyone else looking to do questionable or outright criminal things with your personal info at bay by:
- Using privacy settings if you post anything that shows identifying facts like your date of birth
- Not accepting friend requests from anyone you don’t know
- Not responding to emails from questionable sources that ask for personal information
- Not entering personal information on websites that aren’t secure – look for the lock icon in the web browser
Use Strong, Secure Passwords
It’s estimated about half of all internet users use the same password for pretty close to all online accounts. Another common password mistake is using one that’s fairly simple and easy to guess with a little time and effort. If your reason for doing this is because it’s hard to remember your passwords, use a handy password manager to keep track of this info. Also, if you have any accounts that give you multi-factor authentication options – meaning you’ll also need to enter a code or take some other additional step – use this feature to get extra safety protection.
Watch Out for Scams
Be especially mindful of phishing scams. These are attempts to obtain personal information through deceptive practices. Scammers often resort to tactics that include using seemingly harmless content like quizzes or questionnaires. Clever scammers may even go further and send emails that appear to be from a bank or stores you normally deal with online. Avoid potential internet scams by:
- Double-checking with the sender if you have any doubts about emails
- Avoiding online offers that seem too good to be true
- Using your spam settings
Shop Safely
Well over a billion people worldwide regularly use the internet to shop. If you’re in this group, do so safely. When it comes time to make a purchase, for instance, make sure you’re on a secure site before you enter payment info. Additionally, look for banking or shopping sites that start with “HTTPS” and avoid ones with just “HTTP.”
With internet safety for adults, it can also be helpful to use firewalls when connecting multiple devices to your network, make sure your network is secure, and update antivirus software. Lastly, be cautious when accessing public Wi-Fi. If you do need to use such connections, consider using a VPN to encrypt your data.
