Online Security

The internet is a great place for communicating, research, and playing games, but it is also important to think about your safety and security while online. How can you keep your information secure and private? How can you avoid being hacked and how can you spot a virus? 

cyberwiser

Be careful what you share online

Don’t reveal too much personal information while on social networks, as it can make it easier for people to track where you are or to learn more about you. Before posting a picture, think about what information it gives away e.g., a school uniform can give away where you go to school, and details in the background can help someone identify landmarks and locations. The more information you publicly share online, the more opportunities someone has to impersonate you.

Keep secure passwords

Maintain strong and different passwords for any accounts you use.

    Check the 7 tips below to create a strong password:
  • Use passwords that are not based on easily accessible or guessed personal information.

  • Use the longest password or passphrase that the password system allows.

  • Never use personal details in your password.

  • Capital and small Letters, numbers, spaces, and other special characters should all be included in passwords. 

  • You can make up a simple sentence that you can always remember, then take the first letter of each word in the sentence and add numbers and symbols to it to make a strong password. For example: “I am active and love all kinds of sports!” So the password will be: IALAKOS! @6. 

  • The length of a password should be at least 12 characters. The longer your password is, the longer it will take for hackers to crack it. 

  • Use passwords that are not easily guessable phrases, words, or sentences.

Install anti-virus protection on your devices

To ensure your device is secure, you should install anti-virus protection on your computers and other gadgets. Keep it regularly updated to ensure they are protected against the latest viruses.

Don’t reply to spam

If you have an email address, you are more than likely to receive spam/junk email; messages that have been sent to many people to advertise a product or service. It is best to delete spam, or to ‘report as spam’ so that your email provider’s spam filters are trained to know what spam/junk emails look like.