In 2018, Italian football club Lazio reportedly fell for a £1.75 million hacking scam. They received a mail containing bank account details from an entity claiming to be the Dutch side, Feyenoord, and duly sent the money for a player transfer.
A couple of decades back, an armed robbery group would have required big guns and ammunition to cart away with such an amount. In 2024, a couple of punches on the laptop might have the money sitting pretty in a scammer’s account.
Such is the state of online security in 2024. To help you avoid situations like this, here are 18 online safety measures you should implement in 2024. Five apply across all sectors, and the rest are niche-specific.
Number 12 could have helped Lazio.
Let’s dive in.
Some General Online Safety Measures
To raise awareness about security in the digital world, some experts created scam-aware adaptations of classic poems using AI. The following safety measures emphasize some of the tips and tricks in the poems:
1. Never Share Your Personal Information Online
This is the first commandment of online safety in 2024.
When you share your personal information with the wrong person, you may be giving them direct access to essential details like your financial information, credit records, and every other aspect of your digital footprint.
The simple tip here is don’t share intricate details over the internet, even with people you trust, as their devices might also be compromised.
2. Update Your Security Systems And Software
As technology evolves, the possible dangers follow suit. Identity thieves, scammers, hackers, and fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated.
That’s why software companies release regular updates to enhance existing features, patch security flaws, and implement new ones. You must install these new updates to protect yourself from potential harm.
3. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
The more unique and complex your passwords are, the harder they are to guess. Regardless of the accounts they are for, strong passwords keep your sensitive details secure and prevent unauthorized access.
Furthermore, you must avoid using the same passwords for all your accounts. If the wrong person accesses one of them, they’ll also get access to the remaining accounts.
4. Change Your Passwords Regularly
Yes, using strong and unique passwords isn’t enough. You must also change them regularly because you never know. A hacker might have gained access to any of your accounts and be posing as you for a while.
Changing the password regularly minimizes a hacker’s time in your account, thereby reducing the potential damage.
5. Use Face Recognition or Fingerprint Scans on Your Mobile Devices
Firstly, these options are very convenient for unlocking your device. However, they’re a necessary online safety measure for 2024 because they’re more difficult to pass than PINs and passwords. They ensure that you’re aware before your devices can be accessed.
Some Specific Online Safety Measures For Various Internet Activities
While online safety measures are innumerable, some precautions are vital for certain purposes. Some of them are:
A. For Gaming
You might already know this: everyone on your favourite online casino or gaming website isn’t there because the game is intriguing. Any one of them could be a cyber crook, fraudster, or identity thief.
Here are some steps to stay safe:
6. Visit Only Websites Of Licensed Casinos
Due to the regulatory checks, your chances of encountering crooked individuals are much slimmer here. They must also protect you from cyber threats and problem gambling activities. And for UK players, that includes casinos without gamstop, because they still hold gaming licenses from international authorities like Curacao.
7. Use Only Credit Cards, Never Debit Cards
However, regardless of their security measures, you should assume some responsibilities yourself. Using only credit cards when gaming online is a good example of that. They protect you better from fraudulent activities because they do not grant access to your bank account if stolen. They also limit your liability to a set amount when your financial information is stolen.
8. Hide Your Identity
Focus on the game and not on revealing your identity.
By hiding your identity, you’re diverting attention away from yourself, thus protecting your details in case of potential hacks. You can do this by registering on online services with an alias instead of your actual info.
B. Learning and Finding Information
Learning and finding information online involves browsing different websites and saving various information online. The following protocols can help you stay safe:
9. Do regular system backups
Regular system backups protect you in the event of primary data failure. Imagine that your device got fried from logging on to the wrong site after saving that essential PDF for your thesis. Stings, right?
So, backing up your system regularly is advisable to save money and time. They protect you against virus attacks, hardware failure, and even natural disasters.
10. Use Internet Security Tools
When searching the internet for answers, you expose yourself to everything from hacking and viruses to malware.
Internet security tools immediately warn you of a potential risk within your device or network. They also locate device vulnerabilities, fend off cyber threats, and tackle immediate dangers.
They’re your friends.
11. Activate Strong Antivirus Systems
Yet, some things sometimes get past them. So you need another line of defence, and strong antivirus systems provide just that.
They’re equipped to protect your data and devices from malware, viruses (obviously), and even harmful messages. They do so much more, but the crux of their existence is protecting your device, especially when you’re online.
C. For Staying in Touch with Friends and Family
The following measures can guarantee you and your family’s online safety in 2024.
12. Learn How to Spot Fake Emails and Websites
It starts with being familiar with those of your friends and family. Then, you also need to know the general tone of your conversations. Lastly, confirm over the phone or in person if something feels off before clicking a link from them.
This measure also applies to business correspondences. For instance, Lazio wouldn’t have sent the money if they spotted the email to be fake.
13. Avoid Sharing Personal Information Online
It’s always better to have confidential discussions in person. You might trust your friend or family member, but their device might be compromised. So, avoid sharing sensitive details over chat.
D. Streaming Videos, TV Shows, Music, and Movies
Streaming media online will have you visiting various sites. Do the following to guarantee your online safety.
14. Avoid Downloading Content from Suspicious Websites
They may contain harmful content, malware, viruses, or anything else that may harm your device or compromise your data. Sticking to only reputable and authorized websites for songs, movies, or TV shows is always advisable.
15. Check Website Security
However, if you must use third-party sites, confirm the website’s security. You can start by checking the SSL certificate indicated by the “HTTPS” on the site’s URL. Avoid sites with only HTTP. You can also use modern tools to ascertain the overall security level.
E. Shopping
Online shopping requires revealing sensitive details like account information, card details, and location to retailers. Those can be devastating in the wrong hands. Do the following to protect yourself.
16. Use Secure Connections
Hackers can intercept the details above on an unsecured network. The online payment process is very vulnerable on public Wi-Fi networks and other weak connections. So, ensure you use private networks and updated software when entering your payment details.
17. Leverage PayPal’s Buyer Protection
Digital wallet apps like PayPal help you bypass your bank information when shopping by helping you manage your money online. They also do you one better by protecting you against online transactions going south.
Paypal’s buyer protection reimburses you for the full purchase amount and postage when you are unsatisfied with an online purchase. Use this to protect yourself against unforeseen circumstances.
18. If it’s too Good to Be True, it Probably is
Scammers and fraudsters now set up faux e-commerce stores to fraudulently receive your money or financial information. They often attract victims with cheaper-than-average prices and unusual perks.
You must go further to confirm the prices on other websites before purchasing. Better yet, stick to reputable websites that you’re comfortable using.
If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
