Protectingyourpersonaldataonlineiseasierifyoufollowsomerules

JIM Hughes, CEO of Innovate, offers some guidelines for staying safe online and protecting your personal data.

- Be careful what you download

A top goal of hackers is to trick you into downloading malware, programs or apps that try to steal information.

Be very careful what you download and if products are free then you are very likely to be the product, i.e. the information you provide is where the value is for the provider. Avoid clicking into pop-up ads and stick to branded websites. - Choose strong passwords Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots in the whole internet security structure and the problem with passwords is that people tend to choose easy ones to remember. A strong password is one that is unique and complex, i.e. at least 15 characters long, mixing letters, numbers and special characters.

- Make online purchases from secure sites

Ensure that the websites you visit have ‘ https://’ in their URL.

- Be cautious about what you post online

The internet does not have a delete key. Be conscious of the personal information you post as this can assist hackers in building a profile on you that could assist them with password hacks and other potential security breaches.

- Be careful who you meet online

People you ‘meet’ online are not always who they claim to be. Indeed, they may not even be real. Be as cautious and sensible in your online social life as you are in your in-person social life. - Keep antivirus up to date Internet security software cannot protect against every threat, as hacks are becoming more and more sophisticated. Implementing solutions that scan your web browsing and email, along with multifactor authentication solutions, are now standard minimal requirements.