The year 2024 is upon us, and with it comes the opportunity to make good resolutions to strengthen our online security. As technology evolves at a frenetic pace, online threats continue to grow. Protecting our personal and financial information is becoming an essential priority. Here are some resolutions to strengthen your cyber security in 2024.
First good resolution: sort through your things, free up some space and why not treat someone else to an unwanted Christmas present.
Here are a few tips to help you sell online safely:
- Be wary of buyers who offer you more than you are asking for.
- Always remain on the online sales platform until the sale is completed, and avoid communicating via any other channel.
- Don't agree to pay shipping costs or create an account on a parcel delivery website: the scammer is trying to collect your data via a fake parcel delivery company website.
- Never give out your bank codes or digipass answer codes.
- Never pay a deposit to confirm the sale. This payment will probably be made on a fraudulent site.
More information about online sales: https://safeonweb.be/en/look-out-scammers-online-second-hand-platforms
Phishing messages are flooding our inboxes. The cybercriminals' aim is always the same: to entice you to click on a link to a fraudulent website in order to harvest your data or bank codes.
So be careful before you click on a link. Check the full URL and learn how to recognise a suspicious URL: To do this, place your cursor over the link or hold your finger down on the link on a smartphone or tablet.
Learn how to recognise a phishing message: is it unexpected, is it urgent, who is the sender, is it necessary to click on a link, is it necessary to make an online payment, is the message addressed to me personally, ...
For more information on phishing: https://safeonweb.be/en/learn-identify-fake-e-mails
Get help with the Safeonweb browser extension. This extension will tell you whether a website is safe or not: https://safeonweb.be/en/safeonweb-browser-extension
Strong passwords are useful, but using two-factor authentication (2FA) is much more secure. This method requires not only a password, but also additional confirmation, usually in the form of a code sent to your phone or via your fingerprint, for example. This makes unauthorised access to your accounts much more difficult.
For more information on two-factor authentication, go here.
You don't want to lose all your memories and photos from 2023, so think about making back-ups throughout the year. You can either use a Cloud backup or physical security media such as an external hard drive. Be careful not to keep it near your computer and store it out of sight.
For more information on backups: https://safeonweb.be/en/make-back-ups
Regularly review and adjust the privacy settings on your online accounts. Limit the amount of personal information you share and ensure that only trusted people have access to your sensitive data.
We wish you a safe and wonderful 2024!
