Internet 101
I do not know what brought you to this article. Whatever it is did well. The information you find herein, if not useful to you, will be useful to someone you know. The internet is a very good space for a lot of convenient uses: sending messages, sharing information or knowledge, searching for information, getting apps and so on. In fact, a click on the internet today can give you anything you need: from how to prepare meals to how to install programs, and to whatever you can imagine or think of. This means that many opportunities are available on the internet. These and many more make the internet a home for many, including people with mischievous activities and ideas. Such said people do not use the internet for genuine purposes. They want to defraud, hack, con, spy and do other illegal activities that will hurt other users of the internet. There is therefore a need to be aware of these threats to your life, your device, your internet provider, your community, your nation and the entire world. You don’t have to run away from the internet because of the cyber-crimes that abound therein. You only need to be cautious and imbibe Internet 101 as presented in this article. You have to be wise and careful. The suggestions presented hereunder are made to open your eyes to some of the threats that exist and how to avoid or overcome them. The suggestions are for everybody. Some of them are technical while others are about self-discipline. Practise them to avoid sad stories from what is meant to cause you to smile. It will be nice if you can call the attention of your relatives and friends to these. You would have helped somebody by doing that. Thank you in advance.
Cautious Use Of Social Network
Social networks are great platforms for connecting with the world. As such, they house the good and the bad, the real and the fake, the sweet and the bitter. Do not give your heart to things or people you merely meet there. Life on social media can be full of fakes. Do not believe most of the pieces of information from these platforms: they are usually unverified. Just as you can’t cite those information, you cannot really take them seriously. Do not take to heart people’s praises and condemnations on social media. They are often traps; very few are candid. Do not be careless with posting your locations, feelings, plans, and every move you make out there. In fact, you may not need to share these things about your personal life on social media. With those pieces of information, you might be followed and brought to hurt. Also, don’t post pictures of theatre, concert, or sporting event tickets on social media – fraudsters can create a fake ticket using the bar-code obtained from such pictures. When you have given out every piece of information about you on this network, including where you live, and go ahead to update the world on when you leave the house and when you come back, a burglar may cash in on these unsolicited and effortlessly-gotten information to come around for those beautiful gadgets and appliances in your house which you have always shared their pictures on your social media of choice. Social media give you what you take into them. If you go into them foolishly and carelessly, you may meet with heart-breaking experience but if caution is your watchword, you will enjoy the positive impact of it.
Cautious Downloads
Do not download everything you see; whether sent to your email or on social media or on a website. Consider the source and credibility. Some videos or songs or documents may not just contain harmful virus but may be wares or files designed to hack or corrupt your system. Some adware-powered downloads can fill your phone or computer with junkware. In order to prevent the risks from careless downloads, you need to always scan the downloaded executable file through an up-to-date virus protection or an online malware scanner (one of them is Google’s VirusTotal.com). You don’t have to scan for virus with any application you see online. Google ‘review’ of any application to read people’s experience with it. Some of what you download eventually are adware which when you have on your computer will track your movements and browser habits. Always make your downloads from trusted sources. If the website is not trusted or verified, desist from the download.
Free downloads, the ones you do not pay for, like an app, a browser, a game, etc. sometimes have in them unwanted add-ons and other browser extensions. Consider choosing ‘custom installation’ so as to be allowed to select which additional program to install. This is particularly important for freely offered programs, etc. You can Google the name of the site that contains the program you want to download if you doubt the program.
Again, before downloading apps you do not know very well or you have not used before, make it a point of duty to review the apps. Google-search “(name of app) reviews” so that you will be able to read other people’s experience in using the app. Make sure not to read a review by the developer of the same app – does anybody say that their soup is not yummy?
Use Strong And Effective Password
Anyone who has your password can access your account on social media, email and every other web portals you are associated with. Make your choice of password unique, strong and effective. While it should be such as you can remember, it should not be easily guessed. Think of a combination of letters and numbers, upper case and lower case character. If you choose your birthday or that of a close relative, or a reverse of either, it may not be safe. Don’t also use ordinary words as well; they are guessable. You can however use a word with a deliberate typographical error. For instance, you can choose ‘trasportatn’ for your password instead of the correctly spelt word, ‘transportation’. Another great way of forming passwords is by swapping letters with numbers based on the numbers of the letters in the English alphabet order. If you have ‘diamond’ for instance, you can produce ‘4101mond’ or ‘dia1315144’ or ‘4ia13o14d’. Because you need to remember your password while also making it impossible to be guessed, you need to consider the option above. Once you remember the root word, you can always solve the little mathematics to arrive at your password until you commit it to memory. Just be as much creative as you can. And be sure to record the password somewhere (and back it up) so that you will not forget. Do not use the same password for different accounts. When you do this, you are more prone to total hacking and invasion. If you are afraid of forgetting the different passwords, just add one or two letters of the platform’s name to the password, such as ‘FB2m134’ for a Facebook account. Changing your password at intervals is also encouraged. Record and store your login information (passwords) at a safe place you choose for yourself and be sure to have backup (s).
Beware Of Phishing Scams
Phishing is an attempt to pretend to be reputable online and trick someone into releasing personal information like password or credit card number. For example, someone who does online banking could be tricked into giving information that would allow the phisher to take money out of the account. This usually happens from buying on the internet without caution. Phishing emails appear as messages from a real company you purchased from or as real messages from your bank. These messages may require you to do some things that may make you prone to some con. The phishing email scams can claim to be from eBay, PayPal, a known bank, or a company you trust asking for personal or sensitive information. The e-mail may inform you that there is a problem with your account or password. They may provide a link to click. But the link will lead you to a fake website. If you get an email like this, don’t click on the link. Type the URL (Universal Resource Locator i.e. web address) into your browser and visit the website yourself before taking any further action. You could be conned of money, valuables or some information about yourself. Always look at the email address. Some of the senders of phishing emails do not use the real company’s email address. So be wise to check properly for some irregularities or discrepancies in the email address. You can also forward any suspicious emails to the company it claims to be sent from. They will confirm whether the email you received is real or not.
Use Public Wi-Fi With Care
Public Wi-Fi is always interesting to use but you have to exercise wisdom when you do so. Some Wi-Fi hotspots at schools, offices, hotels, coffee shops, airports, etc. do not have strong security. Someone close to you can access your login info as well as what you are browsing on the internet. When you use public Wi-Fi, therefore, do not go to sensitive sites that require you to login, like bank account, social media, or emails unless you have and can use a reliable personal Virtual Private Network (VPN) service provider. It makes it difficult for internet fraudsters to watch you by enabling a data encryption and adding a layer of security to your communications online.
Try also to turn off Bluetooth, file sharing and network discovery when you are using a public wireless network. People on the wireless network can access your files and system. Remember this! Turn off your wireless capabilities altogether anytime you are within range of public wireless networks but don’t need to go online. As a result of weak network, passcode and other connection errors, your personal info can be given away.
Use Internal Protection For Your Computer
In order to have a safe and secure use of the internet, you need to protect your computer from within. Some dangerous applications, programs, files and other wares may find their way into your computer. Some protection could dispel them at such occasions. There are protections like firewall (which is a device or program that stops people getting access to a computer without permission while it is connected to the Internet), antivirus (a software programme produced and used to protect the main memory of a computer against infection by a virus), antispyware (a program designed to protect your computer against spyware: a computer program that watches what people do with their computers, and then sends that information over the Internet to the owner of the spyware). Anti-virus is a common kind of protection for computer against virus. This is because a virus can corrupt an entire file or cause the computer to malfunction. There are many antivirus programmes available. Some of them are Avast, AVG, Kapersky, Smadav, etc. You need to update the program to maintain its efficiency. When it expires, it might be as good as a menace. By the way, present devices have built-in protection that using the internet wisely and being cautious of the websites you visit will be your highest antivirus. Those who use the internet for more confidential matters are the usual target of spywares.
Do Not Roam Aimlessly On The Internet
When you use the internet, be specific about your purpose or at least be sure not to roam about looking for nothing in particular. Roaming the internet may bring you to make some clicks you may regret eventually. A lot of ads, lead magnets and pop-ups exist on the internet especially on some sites which will lead you to places you would wish you never visited. The more you spend time on the internet doing nothing important or decisive, the more likely you are prone to enter into sites you may have cause to regret. Apart from wasting your data, you may run the risk of being led to defrauding sites and their likes. You are free to surf the internet, but do that for something – in search of something you know. Do not even spend time on social network when you are not chatting or reading or commenting, or doing something you planned to do. You would be roaming aimlessly when you do so! Always have something in mind while going online and stick to what you have in mind no matter what. If you change your mind while online, stick to your changed mind – as long as it is meaningful to you. So you won’t be like a kid that chased a little bird from South to North and could not find the way back home – then started crying.
Be Mindful When Installing Programs Or Agreeing To Terms And Conditions
When you sign up for newsletters, install programs, or agree to anything, read the fine print. Many of us are always in a haste to read through the terms we agree to. The owners of the terms and conditions are not helping matters, either – some are lengthy and look gibberish. We are often in a hurry to install that application or program. Most times, the terms might be unfavourable such as changing some settings on our computer, formatting or deleting some files automatically. Try to read the terms before you click that ‘Agree’ button. Sometimes, what you sign up to may not be what you expected. Always perform the “clean” or custom install mode, and uncheck all other unwanted optional “offers” in the course of the install procedure.
Many sites have some false lead magnet that offers you nothing but yet make you give away some contact information especially email address. If you do not want to receive junk mail or get put on a telemarketer list, look for a small box near the bottom of the page that asks if you want to receive information and offers from other companies. The best sites will have a statement saying that they will not sell your name to other companies (though they may still send you e-mail themselves). Some programs are also virus-ridden so that when you install them, they affect your computer or phone. Be wary of what program you install. Confirm the source and know if it is a trusted one. Google and read the review for the program.
Don’t Disclose Personal Information Without Authentic Reason
Some sites require you to give some pieces of information to get the product. Sometimes, getting a book or essay from some sites may also take you through the processes of info provision on yourself. Be stingy with this kind of information requirements. Do not fill all the blank spaces. Prefer to fill those ones that are necessarily required. Such ones are usually marked with asterisks. The info box without an asterisk indicates that the info to be input is optional and can therefore be left blank. Do not give out personal details to strangers. In many chat rooms and other social media platforms, some persons may appear very polite just to get all they want from you. Don’t divulge your address, phone number and full name to them. Before you do, if you must, do some research on the person. Know who their friends are on the platform and the kind of people they are. Don’t be too naïve and quick to trust. Many people have fallen victims to stalkers and other evil-intending people through the internet. Even when you negotiate jobs online or arrange a meeting with a stranger, do not make known everything to them at the initial point. Allow some things to wait till you have met and confirmed the trustworthiness of the stranger who will possibly turn a friend or a colleague or a client.
Be Wary When Meeting Online Friends Offline
It is good to make friends online especially on social media. There are very many good people out there that only the internet can connect you to. In fact many great relationships, even marriage, started online. What this means is that we can meet people online and consequently wish to meet them offline. While you have to be careful while you make friends on the internet, be more cautious when you meet them offline. Some people are not actually what they pretend to be. A fine-looking person on the internet may actually be somebody else when you meet one-on-one. What is more, your friend online maybe a threat to the society but uses a different identity on the internet. If you are not hurt directly by them, being seen with them may amount to regrettable stories. Whether you are dating online or just having nice friendship with them, be careful. Do not give money to friends online if you will feel bad to learn it was scam. Meeting online friends physically is better done in public places to reduce the risk of being hurt secretly. The choice of a public place would scare them away if they are dubious, and such places will make it impossible for them to hurt you violently. Busy public places like restaurants or coffee shops are ideal. Tell your neighbour, roommate, parents, friend, or brother about the meeting before going. Someone just has to know that you went to meet somebody somewhere. Don’t allow this new friend to pick you up or take you to their place on the first day of meeting physically.
Secure Your Wireless Router
Some homes or group of friends may have a wireless networks that connect computers, mobile devices, tablets and gaming systems. It is always convenient and fun but can open your devices and information to theft. Undesired connections may be experienced too. Someone close to you may secretly connect to your router if it has no password protection, Give your router name and use strong password to protect it. Both the name and the password should be uncommon and difficult to guess by another person. When you allow a guest to log into it, don’t disclose the password and allow them input it. They may use it again without your consent. Always input the password yourself. You can also limit the number of allowed connection so that once the number is reached, more connections, authorized or not will automatically be barred. Take note that your guest could have set their device to remember passwords. What is more, you can totally disable guest login.
Your safety and success is our concern. We will be glad that your use of the internet is safe and secure. By way of percentage, the internet is 95% good and only 5% bad – don’t ask me how I came up with these numbers, please. Okay? We know that a lot of good things that will make you better exist on the internet. That is why we do not want you to have a bad impression of it by falling victim to cybercrimes and such other threats as cyber bullying, etc. The suggestions above will help you use the internet wisely and safely. When you are better, no doubt, the world will be better since the yet-to-be breakthroughs through the internet will materialize quicker.
How To Create Safe Senders’ List (Filter) In Yahoo! Mail
This is a very nice feature in Yahoo! Mail. You can filter your emails to only include what you want to receive and exclude what you don’t want to receive. If you are expecting important emails that you don’t want to lose to spam or junk folder (and finally lost), it will help to use the feature. All you need to do is to create a filter that will define a sender’s email identity in the form say, “@sendersdomain.TLD” (e.g. @yahoo.com). You don’t have to add the quote-unquote. TLD stands for Top Level Domain like .com. In the following steps, you will learn how to set up filters in Yahoo! Mail:
Step 1: Login to your Yahoo! Mail account.
Step 2: Click on “Settings” on the top right of your account page.
Step 3: Scroll down and click “… More Settings”.
Step 4: On the left pane, click on “Filters”.
Step 5: Click on “Add new filters” on the window that opens to the right.
Step 6: In the window that opens, enter “Filter name”.
Step 7: Under “Set rules”, select a filter criterion and type a filter value.
Step 8: Choose a folder to move to.
Step 9: Save.
If you hover your mouse over the created filter, you will be able to see what happens if you receive email that meets the condition of the filter. This will serve as a check for you. To delete any filter, click on it and open it. Just above the pane, you will see a delete button. Click it to delete the opened filter. Confirm delete. Note that you can always go back to your inbox by clicking “Back to Inbox” on the top of the left pane.
Bignedu
