How Important is Online Security?

Today, the majority of us use the internet on a daily basis. It has revolutionized communications, businesses and daily tasks to name but a few. However, while the Internet has quite literally changed the world, it’s come at a price. We open ourselves up to the prospect of identity theft, fraud, data breaches, hackers and a world that was once non existent – now threatens our daily activities.

Online security is very important. In order for you to keep yourself, your information and others out of harm’s way, vigilance and security are paramount. Without online security you open yourself up to becoming a victim of fraud, theft and even property damage. Not to mention how even businesses are at risk. High profile attacks are repeatedly reported where hackers have stolen data, breached the security systems of very high profile companies in order to steal data and personal information, causing damage and financial havoc for the victims.

Whilst WoT allows you to feel secure while browsing the web through our community of over 140 million people worldwide rate and review websites to let you know their safety and security rating, meaning that you get to enjoy a clean and safe browsing experience – we realise that for some, the subject about why WoT is so important for web security needs more exploration.

Here, we’re going to take this opportunity to explore this subject further and provide you with all the information you need regarding the importance of online security and raise your awareness towards it.

Why is online safety and security important?

The internet has changed the way we live, work and communicate. It’s conveniences and uses however, come at the price of new perils. Without any online defense, you leave yourself open to being a victim of fraud, theft and even property damage.

Security and vigilance are vital in keeping yourself safe, and this responsibility isn’t just on the individual; everyone is a potential target, including governments and private corporations.

Without online security measures in place, private or confidential information or messages can be viewed, intercepted and even stolen from the owner. Depending on the depth of intrusion

Depending on the intent of the intrusion, this can range from the innocuous, like market research, to the devastating, like identity theft or other fraud. Governments and companies with sensitive information are also at risk as their own information is often valuable, and they also maintain private information on individuals such as customers or employees.

Identity theft is also a reason that online security is important. It has become a prevalent issue as people buy, sell and exchange information online. Without adequate security, online transactions can lead to fraudsters getting your credit card details and personal information such as your Social Security number. With this information, they can make fraudulent charges and purchases, take out loans, apply for government benefits and wreak havoc with your private life. While you can generally get everything sorted out, it takes time, effort and in some cases expense to undo the damage of an identity thief.

Data theft is another issue, wherein sensitive or personal data like videos, documents and photos can be stolen digitally. This information may then be resold or distributed for illicit purposes. Companies risk losing important documents and data, confidential files, trade secrets, product blueprints and more, from data thieves.

Maintaining solid computer security can also protect the computer itself from damage. Some hackers are more interested in disruption and causing damage than stealing information. Computer viruses, trojans and malicious software are all examples of disruptive issues facing many computer users, and these sometimes include data theft as well as rendering a computer inoperable. When focused on larger targets like government or corporate systems, these attacks can disrupt communications and services, leading to any number of secondary problems.

If you’ve been asking yourself ‘why do we need online security?’ this should have answered that for you. By having online security in place, you will be able to prevent these issues from occurring, saving you stress, time and money – not to mention saving information that is important to you personally.

What is online safety and security?

Online safety and security is the knowledge of maximizing a user’s personal safety and security risks while surfing the web and the protection from computer crime in general.

It’s making sure that you can browse the internet without concern that someone can access your private information or steal data or identity from you.

Additionally, It means being safe from:

• Phishing
• Malware
• Scams
• Cyberbullying
• Offensive Content

How can Internet Security be provided and how can you protect yourself?

Internet security can be provided in a number of ways. Firstly a user can always have an antivirus program installed on their computer and make sure they keep it updated. There are plenty of free or very inexpensive anti-virus programs available, so you have no excuse for not having one.  Make sure you set the program up to do a full scan at least once a week.

When choosing passwords for online sites and accounts make sure you never use the same password twice. Use a mixture and make the passwords hard to guess, by this we mean avoid using personal information such as your date of birth, age, name etc… and remember -the harder your password is for you to remember, the more difficult it will be for someone else to guess it!

E-mail has become a common way for viruses, scams, and phishing activities to obtain information or compromise your computer.  When reading your emails, never click on an embedded link in the message unless you know the destination (you can find this out by hovering your mouse over the link). This applies to messages from people you know, also, because most web-based email accounts (Yahoo!, Gmail, etc.) can be compromised.

Back up important data on your computer to an external drive or storage location (an online “cloud” or flash drive) regularly to prevent total loss in the event your computer is stricken and when using social media such as Facebook, be cautious about what personal information you share.  What you post on the internet is visible to everyone and can sometimes be used in a harmful or damaging way. Another Facebook tip is to avoid accepting friend requests from people you don’t know personally. While it may be “cool” to have 10,000 friends, how many of them are you positive you can trust with your personal information?

As mentioned earlier, WoT helps to protect you online. Our community rate and review websites allowing you to understand if you’ve landed on a safe website or a site that could be harmful to you or your device.

Once you download the browser extension for WoT, you’ll get warning alerts on sites that are unsafe and green signs on sites that are safe. You can also rate and review sites yourself and contribute to making the internet a safer place. WoT is also available on iOS and Android, enabling you to stay safe while on the go and giving you a better app security routine.

Protecting your sensitive or confidential information and keeping your computer and mobile device safe from unwanted intrusions is essential in our internet-driven society.  Follow the tips provided here and continue to educate yourself further about ways to stay secure while using the internet, regardless of what your online activities consist of or how you access the online world.  When it comes to internet security, an ounce of prevention truly is worth a pound of cure.