These days, almost all of us do the majority of our business and entertainment online. Whether it is our banking, catching up with friends, gaming, or even paying our energy bills, we are putting our financial information and personal data into the ether multiple times every day. Most of the time, there is nothing to worry about. But over the last couple of years, we have seen so many different stories about the rising wave of cybercrime. Back when everyone started doing everything from home, there were a lot of people out there who did not understand the measures that they should be taking and the amount of risk that they were exposing themselves to. Now, two years later, it seems like we should be past this problem.
But the fact is that there is no sign yet that we are in for any kind of break when it comes to online crime. In fact, the risks seem to be as great as ever. If you are thinking about spending more of your recreational time online, then it is so important that you make sure that you are taking the proper steps to protect yourself. Here are a few tips to help you look after your data and your money.
Pay For Good Software
Let’s start with one of the basics, shall we? There are so many different antivirus and security software programs out there that it makes a lot of sense why you would opt for a free one. This is especially the case right now, as costs are going up everywhere you look. It can seem like spending money on something that is probably going to be about as effective as the free version is simply wasteful. However, the truth is that your security is not something that you should take lightly. Even if you are confident that your machine has pretty good inbuilt security measures, paying for security software will give you greater peace of mind.
Look For Sites You Can Trust
Any online gamer will tell you that you are never going to have to struggle to find different options when it comes to online games and online casinos. There are a huge number out there and they are all competing for your attention by offering deals and sign-up bonuses. If you are someone who is just starting out and have never gambled online before, it can be so difficult to tell the difference between the good and the bad. If you have ever had a quick look at the number of different games available to play online, you know it can be staggering. Say you want to play monopoly live, or fortune mouse. A good online casino will not only offer you these games but will have plenty of resources to help you get started and feel more comfortable playing. PlayLive is not only the biggest online casino in South Africa, but also dedicated to making its players feel welcome.
Be Smart About Clicking Through
One of the main reasons why so many people find themselves falling victim to cybercrime is that these criminals are very good at making it seem like you have something urgent that you need to do to either save money or earn money. Most of us are smart enough to ignore a message that is asking us to sign up to an online dating platform or to give our banking details to a wealthy expatriate, but if it looks like a message from our boss, our bank, our partner, or our doctor, then we can sometimes forget to take a step back and ask ourselves is this really makes sense. Any time that you get a message asking you to take direct action, ask yourself if this is really what it seems to be. Look at the address or the number that it has been sent from. Look carefully at the wording. If you are not sure, then contact the person who it seems has sent it via the contact details that you have.
Get Smarter With Your Passwords
Suggesting that people change their passwords always seems like such a basic piece of advice, but the evidence has shown time and time again that passwords are one of the main areas where people are getting caught out. How many news stories have we seen where it turns out that poor or repeated passwords were how cybercriminals found their way in? If you have not changed your passwords in a long time, then it is time for a change. It is so important that you make sure that you are using different passwords for your different accounts. If you find it hard to think of different options, then you should consider using a random password generator. This will help you to make sure that your password cannot be easily guessed by the typical easy options, such as the name of your first pet, your mother’s maiden name, the name of the first road you lived on and so on. You would be surprised by how much of this information is out there already, so you should try to avoid any information that people could locate without your permission.
Look At Two-Factor Authentication
Along with random password generators, this is one of the easiest ways to add a second level of security to any of the accounts that you are using. Two-factor authentication does not make it impossible for people to access your accounts, but it does make it a little harder. If you are unfamiliar with the term, it essentially means that anyone logging into one of your accounts will need to verify their identity a second time. For example, one of the most common steps is a text message to your phone with a code that expires after a short time. It can also be through a fingerprint ID if you are using your phone. This is one of the options that requires the least amount of effort and forethought on your part, so it is definitely worth considering.
