Online Security: What Are My Options?

Unfortunately, just as much crime takes place on the web as it does in the ‘real world.’ Every time you boot up your laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone and connect yourself to whatever WiFi is available at the time, you are in danger of being hacked, infected, and/or extorted.

Fortunately, however, there are things that you can do to lower your risk of being targeted by a cybercriminal. It’s true; you do have options!

To find out what you can do to ensure that you remain safe and secure while you are surfing the web, make sure to read on.

Talk to the pros

Tapping into professional advice and assistance is one of the best options you have in your bid to protect yourself against cyber crime. Rest assured, there are plenty of pros out there for you to turn to, so no matter what question you ask, there will always be someone that can answer it.

Security resellers such as WatchGuard, who can be found at Watchguardonline.co.uk, are always a good first port of call in this instance. They will be able to point you in the right direction with regards to what specific security solutions are best for you — being vendor-neutral, they will provide you with information that is completely unbiased.

Firewalls

Installing a firewall on your computer is vital. By taking such action, you make it virtually impossible for cybercriminals to hack into your broadband connection and do whatever they please with your personal data.

Quite simply, a firewall could be the difference between you being able to enjoy your time using the Internet, and you losing access to all of the important data that you have worked so hard to gather and create. It is important, then, that you install one… and that you do so before it’s too late.

Spam protection

Spam can range from being downright annoying to really quite dangerous. Generally, this kind of problem entails something appearing on your computer screen without first receiving your permission to do so. It could come in the form of anything, from a pop-up advert to an unsolicited email.

You don’t want spam bothering you while you’re trying to use your computer, and you certainly don’t want spam infecting your device with a virus. It is fortunate, then, that you do have options when it comes to protecting yourself against this plight. Here are a few of them:

  • Avoid giving out your email address (when you make purchases via the web, be sure to opt out of receiving promotional emails)
  • Never reply to emails either you or your email provider deem to be spam
  • Activate the spam filter on your email account (Outlook and Gmail offer this kind of service)
  • If you don’t trust an email or an advert, don’t open it and certainly don’t click on any links it tells you to click on
  • Learn how to spot phishing emails

As scary as cybercrime may be, it cannot be denied that you do have options when it comes to protecting yourself against it. Heed all of the information and advice laid out above, and be sure to safeguard your online data.