There are always potential risks involved in using the internet, but by making a few small changes and adopting smart habits, you can reduce that risk and stay as safe as possible.  Here are our top 5 tips for keeping yourself and your technology safe online.

1. Use strong, unique passwords for all your online activities. A strong password is one that is over 8 characters in length and includes a combination of UPPER and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters (Example: PaSSw0rD#!).  It is also important to change your passwords on a regular basis and try not to use the same password for everything.

2. Download any files and applications you are interested in from websites and sources that you trust.

3. Stop for a second and think carefully before clicking on a link in an email, message, or on a social media site.  Be extra careful when clicking on links on the sidebars of websites too because although the website may be legitimate, the advertisement links that are featured may not be safe.  When trying to decide if a link is dangerous or not, hover your mouse over the hyperlink and see what the full URL is.  This may help you determine the link’s validity.

4. Be extremely suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true. This old adage is especially true when browsing the internet.

5. When buying anything online, only purchase from reputable sites that display a secure connection. The URL of the payment page will use https instead of http, will show a padlock icon and possibly the word Secure next to the URL.

Example:

There are many ways you can protect your self online, but probably the best advice for safely browsing the internet is this: If the website or link looks suspicious, or you have any doubts at all – do not proceed.  Err on the side of caution and use the tips from above for the safest browsing experience.