As the average individual spends over 9 hours a day on a computer or smartphone, it’s definitely well worth learning how to keep your identity and online accounts safe. In order to discover a few handy tips on cyber safety, simply continue reading!

Tips for cyber safety:

1. Make sure to change all of your passwords periodically

From time to time websites are hacked and their users’ passwords are stolen. So even if you keep your password secret, it’s still well worth ensuring to change all of your passwords periodically, in case one of the websites which you log into, is hacked. Examples of websites which have been hacked in the past include Gmail and eBay.

2. Use different passwords for each site which you log into

It’s also well worth ensuring that each password which you use, is different as if one website has its passwords hacked, the hackers may try to log into some of your other accounts such as your bank accounts using the same password.

3. When it comes to utilizing social media choose to keep your accounts private

While it’s tempting to leave your social media accounts public in order to gain more likes, comments, and friend requests, it’s not a wise idea as you never know who will follow you. As an example, an individual may try to stalk you by visiting locations that you tag yourself as visiting or may try to steal your identity by creating new social media profiles using your photos.

So do yourself a huge favor and set all of your social media accounts to private, so that only the individuals who you know and trust in your real life, will be able to follow your online posts.

4. Make sure to log out of your online accounts, when you’ve finished each session

Even if you’re the only one who uses your smartphone, tablet or laptop it’s still worth taking a few seconds to log out of your online accounts. As it always pays to be safe, rather than sorry, especially if you routinely use free Wi-Fi connections which can easily be hacked!

5. Check the URL of the websites which you use on a regular basis to make sure that you’re visiting legitimate websites

Unfortunately, there have been scams in which fake websites are set up to look just like the websites of real banks, which aim to steal users real online banking passwords. So it always pays to check the URL of the websites which you visit on a regular basis to ensure that there is nothing suspect about the address which you’re visiting.

6. Don’t click on any emails from individuals or businesses which you’re not connected with

If you don’t recognize the sender of an email, don’t click on the email in question as there is a high probability that the email which you’ve received is either spam or even worse a virus or scam. Instead delete the email in question straight away, without opening it.

So if you want to ensure that your identity, online bank accounts, and social media accounts are kept safe, it’s defintely well worth following the 6 cyber safety tips listed above!