The internet is something that has gone from being a novelty, to an integral part of how people live their lives, in a very short span of time. While this has led to the kind of technological advancement that you’ve likely observed in recent years, it has also meant that some areas of vulnerability have remained that way for many people – in particular, the ability for people to maliciously exploit people through the internet. Those who aren’t aware of the ways in which people do this are often most at risk of being the victims of such attacks, but due to the constantly evolving nature of these threats, everybody should ensure that they are knowledgeable on this topic, and how they can practice safety while using the internet.
The Realm of Emails
As emails aren’t the most current of the forms of communication technology, they tend to get thought of as something that has been completely sterilised, safe from threats. This would be a naïve attitude to take, and it’s important to be aware of how your own knowledge of something can differ to what other people think. For example, just because you hold a certain level of competence and knowledge regarding the internet, that doesn’t mean everybody does.
Therefore, it’s important that you don’t drop your guard when you’re using emails. Should something suspicious find its way to you, knowing what the threats can be could prevent you from making a mistake here. Phishing might be the most prominent of these. Proofpoint can help you to understand this threat and ways in which you can defend yourself from it, at the following link: https://www.proofpoint.com/uk/threat-reference/phishing.
Social Media
On the opposite side of communication technology that the internet has provided, you have the world of social media. Social media might be the most prominently used of the communication forms online, with different demographics favouring different platforms and methods. However, despite the variety, each form can hold its own risks and many of these dangers are shared across them. While, as before, different versions of these threats might pose more of a danger to different people, there are still likely things that you’re not aware of and so it’s always best to practice caution.
For younger people, part of this danger might involve the risks of interacting with people they don’t know online.
Sensitive Information
It’s difficult to be careful with your personal information in an age where every website asks for cookies and use of your personal data, but regardless of your attitude regarding that, there are still ways in which you can maintain caution. Areas where you might find this more applicable could be something such as your bank app, where entry of personal details such as passwords and codes should be done discretely. While it might sound obvious to not share any of these in spaces where people can have access to them, some people might not understand just how easily online information can be accessed.
Of course, passwords to anything are always going to be sensitive, so it might be worth your time to use a password manager, or something similar that can protect your information.