The internet is one of the sources of information and entertainment that are both good and bad for users. You can either use the internet to create something highly constructive or use it for malicious purposes. Millions of internet users specialize in using the internet at homes, workplaces, recreational centers, hotels, restaurants and all over the places making it the most accessible and able source of information for people throughout the world.
One of the most surprising things about the internet is that it might occur to you as harmless but it can be a dangerous place to be. It’s possible you are not vigilant enough to decide who can access information about you and who cannot. You can either use a secure internet service like the one offered by TDS Internet or keep your eyes and ears open for any kind of suspicious activity that you might notice happening to you online.
For now, let’s have a look at the different things that you might not be able to find suspicious but can become a threat to your online profiles:
Avoid Posting Your Full Date of Birth and Other Information
One of the things about giving out your information and other things online is that, it can be used against you. Also, there are elements that keep an eye on the personal information of users available online.
If you fancy getting birthday wishes on social media, you can still get them without giving out your birth year as there are elements that can use your information like hometown and year of birth. This information can let these elements guess your social security number and sell them to the Dark Web.
Avoid Taking Personality Quizzes on Unknown Social Platforms
It happens very frequently on the internet that individuals and companies create different surveys and quizzes on social media platforms to trick people and obtain their personal information. This mainly happens if you come across a data-mining company.
For this, one can use a user’s profile and even PMs to get information by providing them with a flashy link and asking them to fill it out to reveal their Inner Animal or something like getting them a discount on purchases or other utilities.
Never fall for this as it is a trap and will lead you to a fraudulent attempt to obtain information and use it against you. Look out for a credible source or read between the lines for indications of suspicious information that can be used as a threat against you.
Never Click on Attachments or Links without Verifying the Source
There are so many specialists and other highly skilled individuals who can hack into your computers or online accounts and use the information to get access to physical and virtual assets. They try to use social media profiles and certain information and send you an email or text message with a link that you are required to click and land on a page that has a form and looks exactly like an official webpage of your college, social media website, your boss, mentors and even your students.
To avoid any problems, you can either ask them and share a screenshot with the sender and ask them if you sent them this or anything that is helpful to identify and verify the source or information of the sender. This is one way to know who sent you the survey online.
Avoid Downloading Anything You Are Not Sure About
One of the things about the information and apps available and other sources is that there are tonnes of information available on the internet including apps and games that can be used to extract information from an individual’s phone, spread a virus that might get an individual the access to a physical device and other kinds of problems that one might not want to get into.
Many experts recommend avoiding downloading apps and games that are available online and either asking you too much information or requiring you to give up your privacy. One of the things about these sources is that they might not appear very attractive, have insufficient reviews, and do not come from reliable or known developers. In many cases, they don’t have a website or social media pages which is a major red flag for users online.
In the end, one can say that in many instances when you are online, you might want to have a word with your gut feeling and intuition and in many cases, you have to stay vigilant by yourself to make sure that you are safe on the internet. Also, it is a good practice to avoid giving out too much information as a known and genuine brand won’t ask for it in the first place.
