We are in a very different situation right now due to the on-going Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Most of the people are required to work from home or do home schooling. CNBC has shared an article related to expected internet traffic surge which means more and more people will be using the internet to work, connect to their loved ones or even watch Netflix.
This Human Firewall Tip is created to give an idea to non-technical people on how to be SMART while using the internet. The following tips highlighted the following:
- Safety first when sharing your personal identifiable information (PII) when answering to emails, surveys or websites. PII is any combination of information that can distinguish a person e.g. name, address, telephone number. This information is usually used by cyber attackers to either guess your password or to assume someone's name or identity to make transactions or purchases on their behalf. It is a bit scary that is why being safe is very important
- Meeting someone you just met online can be dangerous. Although, this is not a good time to be meeting because we need to stay in our own bubble until the pandemic is finished. There are ways to be safe like vetting the person first before you meet, plan your entire encounter and have an exit strategy plan
- Accepting unsolicited emails with attachments or links may be a cause of account compromise. We have shared on our previous Human Firewall Tips # 7 - 11 what are the types of social engineering and how to prevent it. It is very important to be familiar to protect yourself against cyber attack
- Reliability of the information can be a question especially when you found it on social media and even the rise of fake news. Always ensure that you go to the source. If you need to know the latest, better go to the right news agency or your government. Like this pandemic situation, there are cases that cyber attackers are using this to trick people from getting an update but in the background, it is being used to send malware or get PII
- Tell your parent, family, friends or even the law enforcement if you think you may be in trouble, cyber bullied or being extorted for money because your PC has a ransomware. Your silence will not help you. You need to speak up and raise your concerns.
These are some of the basic Human Firewall Tips to be SMART internet users. Be familiar and share your comments on other Human Firewall tips so we can add them up. As a Human Firewall, we need to keep fighting for internet safety as much as we can!
Stay secure and safe.
Disclaimer: Following the Human Firewall tips are at your own discretion. Any actions you may take upon the information on this page is strictly at your own risk.
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