Safer Internet Day is an international education and awareness-raising effort, celebrated in over 100 countries. It has started as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone. Now, it is now celebrated in approximately 170 countries worldwide.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been major changes in our daily life, way of businesses, as well as in cybersecurity. The global epidemic that emerged last year and the new lifestyle caused many changes. Internet usage increased by 25 percent in a few days in mid-March when the pandemic began in the United States.
According to the UK’s regulatory agency Opcom’s statement, internet usage has recorded high. People who are awake spent more than a quarter of the time connected to the Internet. For most of us, the Internet has been a savior over the past year. When we under quarantine, education, shopping, entertainment, and socializing have ongoing on the Internet. While schools turn virtual classes with long participation over the internet, many businesses have been continuing remotely.
However, during this period, there was another section that was stuck in their homes: cybercriminals. Throughout the year, they did not hesitate to exploit society’s health concerns and concerns for their own purposes and trap people. Therefore, it is useful to reconsider some of our habits and behaviors regarding online security to be ready for Safer Internet Day. Sophos Senior Security Consultant Paul Ducklin shared his advice for Internet users.
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If you are a website owner, be sure to keep it safe
If you own a website, it would be useful to check this for security and payment systems. If you can afford to pay, we recommend you get a security consultancy service. In this way, you can see the weak points of your business. If your site is running only over HTTP, switch it to HTTPS as soon as possible to make sure the information flowing through the site cannot be reached by others.
If you shop online, be careful when sharing your card data
While sharing your credit card online, you should consider some basic precautions. Activate 2-step verification, keep the contact information of your bank and seller handy, learn what to do in case of abuse, use virtual cards as much as possible for online purchases.
Raise the awareness of your friends and family about cybersecurity
With the pandemic, many people who were superficially interested in the internet turned into strict internet users in a short time. In the past, this group, contented with checking their messages and looking at a few news, started to communicate with many people on different platforms. During this process, it is important to raise your family and friends’ awareness about common internet fraud tactics. Share with them which techniques fraudsters have used and how they can be identified.
Ensure the security of the devices you connect to the Internet
Secure the devices you connect to the Internet. You can use reliable security solutions to keep secure your connected devices. Also, make sure your Wi-Fi network is secured not to allow interference from outside. Act now!