#BetterInternet experience for Singapore in 2017
The way we interact with one another has changed over time and several of our conversations, relationships and purchases are now conducted online – via the internet. February is known to be the month where relationships and love is celebrated but it is also a month where we celebrate and push forth a message for Safer Internet Day, hence encouraging that the conversations, relationships and interactions we have on the internet are conducted in a safe and responsible way.
#SID2017 or Safer Internet Day (SID) is being celebrated during the first week of February as a global event to promote safe and responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people. Singapore participated for the first time in 2013, spearheaded by The Media Literacy Council and continues to celebrate SID each year through its Better Internet Campaign (#BetterInternetSG) by supporting the 2017 theme – ‘Be the Change: Unite for a Better Internet’.
But what does a ‘better’ internet mean? It means safe transactions, data privacy, no phishing scams and honesty online. GoDaddy shares a list of to-dos for every online citizen, to help create awareness and promote some useful Internet security tips to implement as we commemorate the Safer Internet Day initiative that goes beyond the month of February.
STEP 1: Keeping yourself safe
Use anti-virus software. Install anti-virus software and scan your computer on a regular basis (at least once a week). Also, make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date.
Update, update, update. Similarly, your computer’s operating system and software require regular updates. Failing to keep your software up-to-date can potentially open the door for hackers.
Be cautious. Don’t open email messages if you don’t recognize the sender or if something seems odd, such as the subject line. Likewise, don’t download software to your computer unless you’re certain that the source is safe and your anti-virus software has inspected it. The same goes for clicking links: That free prize link might look tempting, but it could also compromise your computer files and let hackers access your personal information.
Use strong, unique passwords. If you use the same, weak password for multiple accounts, it won’t take long for a hacker to crack your password and access your personal information. That’s why it’s important to use a different, secure password for each account, with a variety of letters, numbers and symbols.
STEP 2: Protecting your privacy
“Deals”. These messages hit your inbox in a surge, offering deals from your favourite brands. They offer “buy now” and “click here” links to take you to the website with personalized notes to get the deal of a lifetime. It’s sometimes difficult to differentiate scams from the real offers. Your best bet is to go directly to the website and look for the deal on their home page. Trust me, if they are marketing a product via email, it should be easy to find on their website. Also, a known business is better than an unknown business, use trusted companies that you have used in the past. A simple Google search may solve the problem. Search for the offer, and see what others are saying about it? You might quickly find that it’s a scam.
Your information. The business model of social media can depend on you giving up some of your privacy, so that you the user can be on-sold to advertisers and other companies. While it may seem that the only “privacy setting” that works is to delete your social media accounts, there are some key tips to help you navigate through the spam. Offers show up all over social media these days, offering free stuff by liking a page or sharing a post. These might be Facebook accounts that have links to amazing deals that don’t actually exist. Disney Cruise giveaways for your kids, free Amazon gift cards seem to be popular one. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be wary and careful about giving out too much information about yourself and your family.
Navigating your inbox. Stay away from junk (or bulk) mail. Any email that lands in this folder is probably there for a good reason. Most can be purged immediately. Test your URLs. A quick test you can perform to determine where a link will resolve is to hover over the link with your mouse and the actual destination of the link can be displayed. Be careful with attachments. It’s no longer safe to only avoid attachments with .zip, .jar or .exe files, as attackers are now using more common formats such as Office documents or PDFs. Last, and most important, if you are not expecting an email with an attachment or link from someone, do not open it. Your curiosity is the one thing that the attackers need to entice you to fall for their phishing scams. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) recently reported that they received several reports of people being tricked by phishing emails since the beginning of 2017 .
STEP 3: Safer and better transactions
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). “SSL” is short for Secure Sockets Layer. In simpler terms, it’s how small businesses communicate with customers allowing them to browse, buy products or services, and share information in a more secure environment online. SSL creates a safe connection for those kinds of activities. Why should you care about a website’s security certificate? Consider this scenario: you’re browsing online and find yourself on a website of your choice. They have just what you need at a price you can afford. But before you reach for your credit card you realise, the payment link isn’t secure. The address bar doesn’t have a lock icon or turn green and this could mean trouble. Now, imagine the scenario is flipped. Only the website is yours, and the visitor is one of your potential customers. They won’t know why you’ve delayed the purchase of an SSL to help protect your site. But you’re only in your first year of business and you needed to spend carefully. Doesn’t everyone know that no one would ever hack your small site, so an SSL would be a waste? Think again. Every website can benefit from a security certificate. More recently, Google now uses SSL as a ranking signal in their search algorithm, so that HTTPS or SSL-secured websites are ranked higher than non-secure sites.
The Media Literacy Council advocates the values of Responsibility, Empathy, Integrity and Respect on the internet for the Better Internet Campaign and ultimately SID is all about gathering the educated to create a safer, better internet for everyone. So this February, when making online purchases for your loved ones – mindfulness is the need of the hour and a campaign such as #BetterInternetSG is pushing a key message for citizens to create a space that is safe, secure and crime free.
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