While the digital age has brought convenience and uninterrupted connectivity, it has also witnessed the growth of cybercrime.
The reason for this increase is the worldwide popularity of the internet and digital services makes many people and organisations vulnerable to cyber threats.
Cybercrime covers a wide range of crimes, including identity theft, financial fraud, hacking, online surveillance and malware distribution. So, let’s get on to this with an example – When you want to make your home secure, you lock the door. When you want to prevent your bike from being stolen, you use a bike lock. When you want to protect your valuable possessions, you keep them in safe but have you thought of protecting your online identity?
What do you do to protect your identity online? So, it is very important for us to protect our identity online.
Now almost every daily business has the opportunity to go online and most people have laptops, mobile phones, tablets, smart watches, smart tvs, etc. The more money and devices you have online, the more opportunities criminals have to access your personal information and take your advantage. However, it is of particular concern for some vulnerable groups such as children, adolescents and the elderly.
The search engine has a safesearch feature that filters out objectionable content and there are also special searches for children. Mobile phones also have parental controls and apps to help parents keep their children safe online. So, I would suggest Genz’s parents to encourage your children not to talk to strangers online and make sure they understand the dangers online. There’s no need to panic, just follow safety precautions, monitor your children’s internet usage and talk to them about how to stay safe online.
Now let’s get on to scams happening with senior citizens nowadays due to lack of awareness. Scammers take advantage of elderly people because they have many valuable life savings, real estate and other assets.
Studies show that older people are less likely to report fraud because they don’t know how to report it or are ashamed of committing fraud.
To prevent fraud with elderly, we want their loved ones, and caregivers to aware them the best online practices and tips to stay safe online.
Now focusing on quick internet tips, you need to know while browsing online, Don’t access your financial information from unsecured websites (look for padlock or “https://” in your browser’s address bar first) ,
If you suspect your credit card information is being misused online, turn off your card using the official mobile banking app.
Do not connect to an unsecured public WIFI network.Internet scammers are always finding new ways to manipulate people online.
The latest and most happening frauds are committed using social media.
Be aware of social media scams such as fake profiles, phishing, Click bating, rumours, job offer scams.
A good rule of thumb is always check the validity of a website before allowing it to access your personal information.
Do not click on suspicious links or fill out online forms unless the website is Legitimate and safe.
To check the website authenticity always visit the site –
www.safeweb.nortan.com
Email phishing scams often involve the lure of gifts or other free items.
Stay safe online and detect fake websites.
It’s important to protect your personal and financial information.
Remember to use a secure connection, verify URLs, check for spelling and Grammatical errors, find contact information,
Do not click on suspicious links, check the website’s SSL certificate certificate, and look for reviews and ratings.
In the nutshell- Prevention is the only key to keep yourself safe online,
By following the safety tips, you can avoid falling prey to cybercriminals and keep your information safe online. One has to use his/her common sense and keep a presence of mind while being online.
In case of any happening don’t hesitate to call on 1930 and report on
About the Author –
Ojaswani Bhargav– Digital forensic analyst. Awarded by Hon’ble Home Minister Sh. Amit Shah for vigorously working for cybercrime awareness. Awarded by Governor of Punjab and Administrator UT, with DGP recommendation letter for bagging first position in cyber swachhta mission project organized by Chandigarh police. Delivered lecture on cybercrime awareness in an event of G20 summit in collaboration with RBI. Have been the guest speaker in various workshops, events and webinars in Universities, colleges, schools and organisations. Guided over 50,000 + people about cyber hygiene.
