Today Is Safer Internet Day; How Safe Are You?

In 1999, the European Commission came up with the Safer Internet Programme with the goal of promoting safe and responsible use of the internet by children and young adults. In 2004, Safer Internet Day was developed as a special day each year to promote safer use of the internet and online technologies. That day has now spread worldwide, including the United States, and today is the 2013 Safer Internet Day, now observed in more than 90 countries. This year’s theme “is ‘Online rights and responsibilities’, when we will encourage users to ‘Connect with respect’.” The goal is to teach people, young and old alike, how to use the internet safely and responsibly.

With that in mind, I’d like to take a look at some of the theme’s ideas and add in other ways to ensure that you can navigate the internet safely and securely. In my mind, staying safe on the internet has two components: Securing your accounts against unauthorized access and being mindful of what you post/write/upload to the internet on various social networking sites. The second part is easier than the first: Don’t post anything anywhere online that you don’t want coming back to bite you later. If you don’t want your company’s CEO, a prospective employer, your community religious leader, your children’s principal, or your family to know something, you shouldn’t post it anywhere online. That holds true for Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, a blog, or even a comment on a website. What a teenager does online should be scrutinized even more; they should never share any identifying personal or location information with anyone online. While I’m definitely a technology geek, I post little personally identifying information online. When I post pictures on Facebook of my kids, I don’t even post their names. I identify them as Thing 1, 2, or 3 only. A lot of my friends do the same. This second part is not anything that technology can really fix; it requires common sense and good judgement to know what can or should be posted online, especially as a parent.

Common sense and good judgement is also needed when dealing with phishing scams and unsavory websites or apps trying to get your information. Too many people get duped into clicking on links in fake emails and installing apps, especially Facebook apps that are only trying to hack into your accounts.

Here are some tips that I am always offering to people:

• If you get an email claiming to be from your bank or financial institution, don’t click on any link in the email. Instead, login to your online banking account. If the email was legitimate, whatever message it contains will be presented to you when you login.
• If you get a spam email, don’t click on any links “just to see what it looks like.” It could lead you to a website that will install malware on your computer.
• Be selective about what Facebook apps you install. Many Facebook apps are scams that are only trying to get your information and access to your account.
• Web browsers and webmail services like Gmail and Yahoo often warn you if a webpage or email is suspicious. Don’t ignore these warnings.
• If you ever question the veracity of any email or webpage, DO NOT click on anything.

There are many technologies available to make your online accounts more secure. Many websites have two-factor authentication such as Dropbox and Google. Two-factor authentication requires you to enter a code sent to you, via email or text message, after entering your password unless you are logging in from a trusted device. Google has an iOS and Android app called Google Authenticator that can create a verification code for you even if you don’t have access to text messages. Facebook is among many websites that offers login approvals.

You should always use a strong password and one that isn’t your birthday or your kid’s names. It can be hard to keep track of passwords and that’s where LastPass comes in. LastPass is an online service with web browser addons that securely store your passwords in an online encrypted vault. LastPass can also generate advanced passwords and store them for you.

Nothing guarantees your information is secure online. Even the technologies listed above can only help you. It’s up to you to make sure that you use common sense and good judgement to ensure your stay safe online.