Some Internet Safety Tips You Must Follow to Browse Securely

Internet Browsers are the most common way to infect your system and steal data. So if you want to keep your system protected, you must follow browser safety guidelines and use the required tools (if needed). We have listed some useful safety tips/tools below that you should use to browse securely.

Use Incognito/Private Mode While Accessing Sensitive Data

Most of the modern browsers come with Private or Incognito Mode. For example, you can right-click on the Google Chrome app icon and select the New Incognito option to use it.

Using Private mode is encouraged if you don’t want browsing data (history, form submission, and cookies) to be saved while you browse. Make this a habit if you are accessing banking / sensitive data.

Use a VPN When Needed

VPNs are useful in many ways. You can hide your IP so no one can get your real identity. VPNs can also encrypt internet traffic to let you browse securely. Using VPN is a necessity while you are connected to a public WiFi so hackers cannot snoop. There are different kinds of VPNs that you can find, but those with RAM Servers only provide more security as they can’t store your data. One of these kinds is Surfshark that you can check here. VPNs can also unlock contents or websites that are blocked in your country as it allows you to select an IP of other countries. This is an added benefit on top of security.

Enable 2-Factor Authentication for Internet Accounts

If your Emails and Internet accounts have the option to activate 2-Step Verification or 2-Factor Authentication, you must enable it to keep your accounts protected. This way no one can hack into your account even if they manage to guess the password.

Use a Password Manager

Using a Password Manager may sound insecure, but it isn’t if you take care of security. Remembering passwords of all accounts is not possible. If you are among those who don’t use a Password Manager, you probably use an easy password to remember them or you save it in a notepad or somewhere on a computer. Both the method is not secure. You should rather use strong passwords and keep them saved in a Password Manager. You can use even Google Password Manager to save Passwords, but just make sure to Enable Google’s 2-step verification.

Block Pop-Up and Redirects

Some websites use Pop-Ups and Such Ads that open a new browser window and even use redirects to send you to unwanted websites. Most of these pop-up ads target computer users to infect devices with malware, steal data, etc. Pop-ups can be blocked from browser settings. If you are using Google Chrome, you can follow these instructions to disable pop-ups:

• Click on the option icon (appears on the top right corner on the browser widow), then click on the Settings option.
• Select Privacy and security option, then click Site Settings option.
• Pop-ups and Redirects option is located under Content settings. Click on it and then seclect Don’t allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects.

Avoid Torrenting

Well, Torrent provides the most reliable download options that almost never fail in the middle regardless of the file size. You can always pause it and resume from the same point where you left. However, Torrenting makes your system quite vulnerable to hackers and malware. Things you download from torrents are mostly uploaded by individuals that could be a clean file or infected file uploaded by a hacker. Downloading from reliable links is not harmful, but using Torrent Search to look for a random file is never recommended.

Never Install Pirated Software

Pirated Software attracts many computer users, but nothing comes free. If someone is working to make paid software available for free, then there is a catch. Pirated Software can get access to your whole computer during the installation process and you may never realize it. It’s quite each to hack or snoop into someone’s computer making them install free software. Stay away from such free or cheap apps! Always download from a reliable app store of trusted app developers’ websites.

Avoid Email Traps

Some most common Emails Traps:

• You have WON! (Lottery, Prize……).
• Your Email Storge is almost full, click here to upgrade. Or anything like this.
• You have received Payment, click here to release the payment completing registration.
• Someone tried to log into your account, please click here to change password.

These are just some of the samples, but there are many such fraud and spam emails that try to catch your attention and hack your account.

Whenever you receive such emails that claim to be PayPal, Microsoft, Google, etc., first of all, verify if that email is sent from a reliable email address. For example, emails coming from PayPal about Payment will never be sent from a gmail.com email. The email must have attached @paypal.com to it. If it’s not, it’s a fraud. The link sent within the email must go to the same website as well that you can check in browser URL (email may Appear PayPal.Com as text and lead to some other website that you can only check clicking on the link or by copying the URL using right-click). Not clicking on the link is always a better idea when you are in doubt. Just see what it says, and visit the site (if it concerns you) separately opening a new browser window to verify.

Keep Browser Extensions Updated

Web Browsers allow to add extensions/plug-ins, but it’s very important that you keep them updated. Enabling developer mode allows installing those extensions manually even if they are not in the app store. Install only those extensions that you trust or it can compromise your browser safety.