From identify theft to malware and viruses, there are several potential threats you might encounter when you go online. As you use your internet service and download files, it’s important to know how to keep you and your computer safe. Here are a handful of tips to stay secure as you browse and check your email.

How to Practice Internet Safety

1. Don’t Open Suspicious Emails

Take a good look at your emails before you open them. Though spam messages will typically route directly to your junk folder, you might find emails from not only unknown senders, but also known senders such as friends and family with suspicious subject lines in your regular inbox. Since these may contain links to malware and viruses, never open them. Instead, mark them as spam and delete them. 

2. Install Antivirus Programs

Viruses slow down your computer’s performance and may potentially cause file damages and data losses. Install an antivirus program, and run it on a weekly basis to minimize threats. For extra protection, ask your internet service provider about installing anti-malware and spyware software. 

3. Use Strong Passphrases

For logging into social media, online banking, and other accounts, use passphrases (think sentences with punctuation and capital/lowercase letters) that aren’t overly simple and easy for cyber criminals to guess. Avoid including your birthday, street address, initials, or other easily identifiable information. Also, change your passphrases every few months to increase safety and prevent identity theft. 

4. Backup Your Data

In the event of a cyberattack, you may lose sensitive and personal data. Back up your computer to an external disc or a cloud storage site so that you can restore all of your files and folders without losing anything important. Do this on a weekly, if not daily, basis.  

Stay safe and secure online with help from the team at New Hope Telephone Co-Op. They offer dependable telephone, cable, and internet services—along with security monitoring systems and mobile medical alert systems—to the New Hope, AL, community. Call (256) 723-4211 to ask about residential bundles and sign up for an internet service plan. Visit them online to learn more about this Northern Alabama-based business.