Real life is about to begin. You are out of the house and off to college. If you are lucky, you have a laptop to take to college with you. This laptop is a gift, but it can also be a curse if you don’t know how to use it correctly. Laptops are convenient, for sure, but they are also prime targets for hackers and thieves who want to get a hand on your personal information. Prevent your private information from leaking online.
Search Yourself
Start out with a clean slate. Hopefully, since you are new to the adult world, there is not much information that you have to worry about removing. Search your name online to see what shows up and take action if necessary. If you want to ensure that no incriminating data ever shows up, you can use Reputation.com to monitor your online presence.
Be Safe on Social Media
In your age group, social media is extremely popular. If you aren’t active on social media you may as well declare yourself an outcast right now. It is OK to keep your social media accounts if you use them correctly. First, set everything to private. Social media shouldn’t be a popularity contest where you try to garner as many friends as possible. Only add people you truly know. Be aware of what information you share online, no matter who your friends are. The Federal Trade Commission says this is so important because hackers can use information from your social media accounts to answer challenge questions that allow them immediate access to your personal financial accounts.
Use Caution When Using WiFi
As a college student, you are probably going to be using a lot of WiFi. You will use it in the library, at the coffee shop and oftentimes even in your dorm. When you use WiFi, be very careful about what Web sites you visit. If the connection is not password protected by you, then anyone can access it and any personal information you share. When on an unsecured WiFi connection, send personal information through an encrypted site. OnGuardOnline points out that to ensure a Web site is safe you need to look for an https (the “s” stands for secure) at the beginning of the web address instead of just http.
Keep Passwords Private
This one may seem simple, but until you get a password stolen you will not understand how dangerous this can be. Do not tell anyone your passwords, ever. Choose different passwords for each of the sites you visit.
Be Careful When Opening Emails
Since you are just getting out on your own, it can be tempting to open every email that you get that offers an unbelievable deal or promotion. Be cautious when opening these emails. If you don’t know who sent the email, don’t click on any links or open any files. The Federal Communications Commission adds that you should disable images directly through your email provider. Many times, simply loading the images in an email can infect your computer with malware or spyware.