How to avoid mistakes while sharing information online

Things to remember
before sharing your information online being online can put you under the
scanner of cyber criminals looking for their victims round the clock. Now,
exposing your basic and sensitive information on any platform might put you in
the jaws of cyber predators just to be devoured. The constant fear of being a
victim is as true as the earth we are living on. If your computer, laptop or
smartphone is safe today, then you cannot be assured that it will be safe in
future. Digitization has made Internet our constant companion and at the same
time has increased the risk of drawing unwanted attention from the hackers.
Staying alert is the only way to stay safe.

The following can
ideate you about staying cautious while sharing your information online:

1. Open up Too Much on
Facebook

Once you post
something on your Facebook page as a status; it is out there for all to see. It
is necessary to be cautious about what you are sharing on Facebook. If you have
weak privacy settings, then you could actually make your identity vulnerable to
online threats or even invite unexpected incidents like burglary (where your
home address can be located easily).

Solution

·
Never post any
personal information on social media

·
While you post
something on Facebook, make sure you select your audience as ‘Friends’ and not
‘Public’ (if you are not sure of making it public.)

·
Disable posting by
others on your timeline.

2. Indulge into too
much of Free Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi is the
easiest access since anyone (including hackers) can access it. In addition, any
information you send or receive over such networks can be intercepted by anyone
with a fair amount of knowledge about hacking. For instance, if you are
shopping online over an unsecured Wi-Fi connection, hackers can place
themselves between you and the shopping portal, spying on all your information.
This hacking technique is known as man-in-the-middle attack (MiTM).

Solution

·
Try to avoid open
Wi-Fi for sensitive activities like financial transactions, bank details, etc.

·
Do confirm
authenticity of the network from the service provider.

·
Use VPN (Virtual
Private Network) for an added safety measure.

3. Responding to
emails from unknown senders

Unsurprisingly, email
remains the most popular tool that hackers use to trap their victims. One
skillfully crafted email bearing an urgent tone, something like ‘Your ATM is
locked. Share your PIN and card number for security verification’, is good
enough to trick an unsuspecting user into sharing this crucial piece of
information with the scammer. This phishing technique has been laying waste to
many businesses and individuals since long.

Solution

·
Do not respond to
unwanted, unknown or unexpected emails that ask you to download attachments or
click on links.

·
Even if such emails
seem familiar, call up the sender and verify the situation first.

·
Mark such emails as
‘spam’ or delete them from your inbox.

4. Weak Passwords

Choosing predictable
and weak passwords are one of the common mistakes done by the users. Simple
passwords ease our memory but throw our accounts at the risk of hackers. Very
often, these passwords are used for multiple accounts, which make the situation
worse. If a hacker cracks it, then it will not take much time for him/ her to
steal the sensitive details.

Solution

·
Passwords should be a
mix of letters, numbers and special characters (or symbols).

·
Use different
passwords for different accounts, where there is no personal information.

5. Filling online
forms

General details like
name, contact number, email ID, residential address or even date of birth might
seem to be basic information but these can be too important for scammers. For
example, if you fill up any online form as a part of registration process to
avail any services from a website, then the information you are sharing might
be harmful unless you are sure of how this information is going to be used.

Solution

·
Use a fictitious name,
email ID and phone number while filling up similar forms as mentioned above.

·
Disclose your correct
details only if it is necessary and after you are assured of the privacy policy
of the website.

Digitization has
modernized our lives in many ways. Due to multiple online activities happening
every now and then, it is quite common to lose track of how and which
activities we do online frequently. This paves the way for cyber crooks to
capitalize the opportunities. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned precautions can
restrain you from being a victim.