These days, not a week goes by without a story about a high-profile hacking, the leak of millions of people’s personal information, or a new type of malware designed to be even more vicious than the last. Staying safe and protected online is harder than ever, and it is also more difficult than ever – we now use the internet to do everything from organising dates, to buying groceries, to planning trips, to managing work.
Thankfully, it is possible to protect yourself and your data fairly easily by learning about how to stay safe online, avoid scam sites, and navigate the internet securely.
Preventative measures
One of the best ways to avoid endangering your sensitive financial and personal information is to take a series of preventative steps. One of the best ways to avoid getting hacked is by only registering for accounts on sites that are clearly reputable.
Take the online gambling industry, for example – there are some platforms that are safe and some that are not. When you are considering registering for an online casino, check out the terms and conditions at the bottom of the site, read reviews about licensing, and do your research. Online casinos such as Lotto Lovers will have their registration, licensing and user safety information clearly displayed for users. Sites that hide this information should be avoided as they may not be properly licensed.
Other steps you can take to stay safe include creating good-quality passwords, using third-party payment processors such as PayPal or Stripe, and not clicking on links that were sent in phishing email attempts. You should always think twice before using your personal information to register for a site, and you should think thrice before making a payment on a new site, just to be safe.
Practice general ‘street smarts’ online
We have all had to learn street smarts and it is honestly not all that different online. It takes time and effort, but when browsing online, you need to learn to look out for markers of a scam site. If a deal seems too good to be true, if contact information is missing, if links are broken, or if something just feels ‘off’, then it is time to leave the site.
Other markers of an unsafe site can be if the URL looks off, if the site has no social media presence whatsoever, no ‘About’ section, or an awkward design. If you are still not sure, just double-check with a tech-savvy friend and see what they think or check out some of the resources online for determining whether or not a site is legitimate.
Finally, it is best practice to try to stay up to date with the latest news regarding hacks, scams and cyber-attacks. Hackers around the world are constantly thinking of new ways to get into your information, and you can stay one step ahead of them by keeping up with the news, being aware online, and taking a few simple precautions.