6 tips to surf the internet safely

The Internet is a place loaded with interesting information, where you can enjoy all kinds of content or find any product comfortably. However, if you browse without security, it is likely that you will end up having problems.

If we ask people if the Internet is safe, the vast majority of those who answer us will say no. But the truth is that the Internet, by itself, is neither safe nor insecure. Everything depends on the use we give it and the protection measures we take in this regard. Something similar happens with a car. If we drive responsibly, we usually won’t have any problems. But if we do it at an inappropriate speed and with a vehicle in poor condition, we have a good chance of having an accident.

Since there is no card to move around the Internet, we offer you our tips to make your browsing safer and avoid the risks of the network. Some ideas that, along with a little common sense, will help you avoid possible problems in your online sessions.

1. Stay up to date

One of the main sources of network problems is a computer with an outdated operating system or an outdated browser. An environment without security patches is fertile ground for viruses or hackers to do their thing. For this reason, it is key to keep both the operating system and the browser that we use to move around the network always updated. Fortunately, today there are options for these programs to be updated automatically, without us having to check for updates manually.

2. Protect your equipment

While an up-to-date computer is a good base to start with, a second layer of protection needs to be put in place. For this reason, before moving around the network, it is important to prepare our device for the threats that it may encounter. On the Internet there are viruses, Trojans, malware and all kinds of harmful software for our equipment, which can pose a risk to our security. 

Fortunately, you also have antivirus, firewalls and other similar programs, with which to avoid this type of problem. Its cost is low or even free, like Microsoft’s Windows Defender kit. An efficient solution for those who do not walk on particularly dangerous terrain.

3. Protect your accounts

When we move through the network, it is common for us to have an email account, another Facebook account, a Twitter account and many others on different websites. So that these accounts are not at risk, it is essential to use strong passwords. Such passwords must be personal, not include data related to our person (name, surname, where we are from, etc.) and always mix uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and even some symbol, if the website allows it.

The good news is that many browsers take care of randomly generating very strong passwords on the fly, the moment you register on a website. And if you are afraid of forgetting them and use a private computer, these browsers also offer you the possibility to save that password, facilitating your later access to your accounts with ease.

4. Use a VPN

Even taking all the security measures that we have mentioned, it is possible that a malicious user can intercept communications between our device and the Internet. It is not the most common, but it can happen. If you want more protection, you can use a VPN. The acronym VPN stands for Virtual Private Network or virtual private network. The idea behind this service is to navigate connected to a kind of local network (private) of virtual type (without physical connection).

This allows you to encrypt all incoming and outgoing traffic and prevent data leaks, which can be useful if you handle sensitive information. It also prevents the tracking of your browsing by your ISP and even allows you to access content not available in your country, as happens on Netflix or HBO. If you want to try one of these services, you can take a look at what NordVPN has to offer on the web at https://nordvpn.com/en/download/.

5. Beware of public networks and equipment

Having the internet anywhere is a good idea, but it is also something that comes with considerable risk. In fact, many public networks have such poor security measures that they are a gateway for malicious attackers to gain access to your computer or information. In case of using public WiFi networks, it is highly recommended to resort to solutions such as the VPN mentioned above or only navigate on networks that give us maximum security.

Something similar happens with equipment and computers for public use. It is essential that we always log out of the websites we have used and that we do not allow passwords, emails and other personal data to be stored on these computers. We don’t know who can sit next to that computer and what they can do with our data.

6. Use common sense

No! That Nigerian prince who is offering you his fortune just wants your money. And the same goes for that fantastic website that sells the latest iPhone for half price. On the Internet, things are not always what they seem. Therefore, it is important that you always use common sense and do not trust everything they tell you. Oddly enough, many of the security problems on the Internet are linked to people who believe more things than they should.

This goes for everything; to detect fraudulent stores, but also to not believe the false profiles that abound on social networks. The same goes for the emails we often receive asking for our Facebook passwords or telling us that we need to reset our bank account. For this reason, we should never trust these messages or these profiles, since the only thing they want is to access our data and use it against us.