It seems like every website you visit asks you to open an account or sign up for exclusive information. Most of the time, this is a great idea and makes your online experience more seamless and user friendly. This, along with technology developing at a thrilling speed, including inventions like the Metaverse and Web3, makes it a very exciting time and the opportunities to develop your life online are endless. However, in order to take full advantage of everything on offer, it is incredibly important to be protected online. Otherwise, all your fun will be cut short.
There are many ways to do this and to stay safe while operating online – from strong passwords to cryptocurrencies. We will review some of the ways below!
Login authentication
There is a lot of advice when designing passwords – avoid using your name, use complex number combinations and incorporate special symbols. These should all be utilized at every opportunity. Additionally, you should not have the same password associated with many accounts – diversity is key here.
Also, it is highly encouraged to use two-factor authentication when creating accounts. Many companies encourage this, providing you with the opportunity to use your phone, secondary email or authentication app to enable this extra level of security. By adopting this two-factor method, you will be alerted if anyone tries to access your account, with an email or a phone notification. Considering how much personal information is often stored on our accounts, you should always take advantage when this is an option!
Scams and private information
Another way to secure your accounts is to stay up to date with scams that ask for personal information or financial payments. There are some very popular scams, like the “Nigerian Prince” scheme, which many are aware of, but there are many more that fly under the radar. At all times, you should not share your personal information with unverified sources. This personal information includes everything from credit card information or government identification numbers to your full name.
Cryptocurrencies
One of the best ways to stay secure online when playing games or interacting with others in any way where money might be involved is to utilize cryptocurrencies when possible. At first, there is a learning curve surrounding them and it might take a little bit of time to figure out which currency will work the best for you. However, once you get the hang of it, they are a great way to protect your investments, identity and privacy.
Blockchain technology is used as the foundation of all cryptocurrencies. In layman’s terms, it is a series of decentralized computers monitoring and recording all transactions involving a specific currency – such as Ether, Bitcoin or Doge Coin. The decentralized structure has several benefits, such as it being incredibly difficult to attack and steal personal information, and it also does a great job of recording all activity that occurs between users, creating an objective and reliable record.
Additionally, you should try to use digital wallets and cryptocurrencies because they create an additional line of defense against hackers and scams. While traditional banking structures link directly to your personal data, such as address, social security number and work history, digital wallets are encrypted to prevent access to this information.
Legitimate websites
When exploring the internet, it is crucial that you do not visit websites that are tagged as risky or unreliable. For example, in the world of online gaming, it is important to play only on legitimate gaming websites. Luckily, common sense will make it easy to spot these sites – they will be the ones registered to a gaming board, have strong logins and will offer secure payment options. These game sites will also have well designed games – including card games, slot machines and bingo – with bonus offers and specials. It is also a good idea to look at the reviews for casinos you are thinking of creating an account with – just search for the name of the website and check what others have to say about their experiences!
While it might seem daunting to learn about cryptocurrencies, or time consuming to make individual passwords for your accounts, these steps are crucial in ensuring that your online footprint is safe and your privacy is maintained.