The Frugal Grandmom

No matter how old you are, the online world can sometimes be a scary place. You don’t know who anyone really is, it can be hard to be sure if websites are safe, and one well timed email can lead you right down the path of a scam. So it’s not just the kids we should be teaching about online safety! Plenty of adults can get into trouble online as well – it’s all about knowing what you’re doing when using the internet. As such, here are some online safety tips everyone should surf by, regardless of their age Pexels Image – CC0 Licence Almost Anyone Can See What You Do Online It’s easy for someone to break into a PC from anywhere else in the world if you’re not using a secure wifi router, you’ve visited a compromised website without any malware protection, or you’ve been compromised before. Online visibility is usually explained to kids, but very few adults realize that the latter is even dangerous for them! Being tracked in this manner is one of the main reasons an IP address change is necessary every now and then. If you’re on Windows you can go into your computer settings and then follow the instructions found on the Microsoft website. You can also check out how to change ip address on mac if you’re using Apple products. If your location security doesn’t change, there’s a strong chance your data could be hacked and leaked again.   Passwords Need Changing Regularly Passwords don’t last forever, nor should they be expected to. If someone knows a password to your account, or there’s been a data leak of any kind, that password is now compromised and no longer functions as security. It’s why we don’t recommend using the same password twice for anything.  Stay ahead of the curve – changing a password once every 90 days is usually a safe way to go. You have time to set and get used to the new password before you have to come up with a new secure version. However, if you’re really worried about account security, you can change your password as often as every month.  Always Double Check What You’re Seeing Finally, make sure you comb over the facts of what you’re seeing online. If any news source crosses your path that intrigues you, it’s always best to do your own research. If a website tells you anything on ‘good authority’, double check with other experts who talk about similar topics. Before you take any word as a truth, always delve into who is writing and why they might be writing.  This is a good way to teach the kids online literacy. If they see something shocking, they need to come and tell you. You can then go through things together and help to keep your child safe from similar content in the future. In simple words, never blindly follow something! Online safety is imperative at all ages. Make sure you’re staying safe while using the internet.