8 Tips for Internet Safety

Most everyone browses online, completes tasks using the internet, or watches videos to learn a new skill or hobby. Life nowadays entails a huge digital focus, which certainly has its advantages, but also has new challenges. In 2022, Avast reported 50% of people use the same password, there was a 61% increase in phishing attacks, and 81% of company breaches are caused by poor passwords. With all that we do online, it’s more critical than ever to be thoughtful about what you post, the information you share, and where you click. Here are a few tips to keep top of mind:  

1. Don’t post personal photos publicly or share any personal or financial information. Answers for security questions like “What is your mother’s maiden name” can easily be found on social media.
2. Be careful with online ads. Instead of clicking on ads when you are searching for content, scroll down below the ads to select a url. If an ad promise is too good to be true, it probably is.
3. When accessing your online banking login pages, always access through your financial institution’s secure app, or through a known homepage or bookmarked login page. Never access an online banking login page through an ad or link in a text message as these messages could be fictitious.
4. Never respond to text messages, messages through social media channels, or emails from strangers.
5. Don’t reuse passwords. Be sure to create unique and complex passwords for each account you have.
   • A Password Manager is a great tool for protecting and housing log-in credentials for all platforms and websites safely in one place.
6. Never open attachments from unknown sources. If you receive an email from an unknown source, hover over the sender’s email address, and review the contents of the email for typos and urgency in requests. If anything strikes you as odd about the request, it’s likely fraudulent.
7. Hover your mouse over hyperlinks to confirm you are being redirected to the proper website.
8. Use secure Wi-Fi (a password protected network).

Looking for more online safety tips? Our security and fraud prevention page has has several resources and frequently asked questions. You can also sign up for our newsletter or browse our articles on our blog to stay up to date on cyber security.