With internet becoming more accessible and our lives moving to the digital sphere, new threats and risks have also reared their heads. Online fraud, data theft, and UPI scams are as common as burglary now. Netflix series, Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega, about a bunch of youngsters running a wildly successful phishing scam in Jharkhand is based on reality after all.
Knowing about the latest scams is one way to protect yourself from them. But to be able to truly stay secure and safe online, you have to do more than just be alert – you have to safeguard your privacy, prevent being hacked or phished and use appropriate tools available. So, let’s take a look at how you can browse the web safely and keep yourself and your loved ones safe online.
This is probably the easiest thing you can do. Don’t keep weak passwords and change them periodically, whether it's your phone, online accounts or the Wi-Fi itself. It’s a known fact that a lot of people have the same/similar passwords for all their accounts and constantly changing them is a way to keep phishers away from your personal and sensitive information. If someone is able to connect to your Wi-Fi network, all connected devices are at higher risk of being hacked into, so it's very important to keep a difficult password for the Wi-Fi as well.
While keeping difficult Wi-Fi password is definitely important, it's not enough. This is why, Airtel has come up with a new service called Airtel Secure Internet which makes your internet usage safer. This service not only blocks malware, viruses and untrustworthy content but also websites and apps as per your selection. For example, you can protect your kids from objectionable content or even block gaming and streaming services when it's time for their studies. The blocking is applied at the broadband level and is available for all devices connected. Taking this to the next level, the devices are all protected in real-time. The service is digitally enabled and can be accessed from the Airtel Thanks app.
Easy online payments have changed our lives, but some of the most common frauds happen because of them. You must ensure that you make payments only on credible platforms and never on suspicious links. If you are an Airtel Payments Bank user, you can benefit from their new introduction Airtel Safe Pay. It's an industry-first feature that provides an additional layer of security for UPI and net banking transactions by adding a third authentication step. So, even if someone gets access to your account and password, they still can't make an unauthorised payment.
It starts with that simple question. It's well-established that some smartphones are more secure when it comes to safety and privacy. Leading phone brands which have more control over the operating systems on the phones are now ensuring that your privacy is not compromised through suspicious apps. So, picking a smartphone wisely will also go a long way.
VPN or Virtual Private Network are very important, especially if you are connecting to an open or public Wi-Fi network. These places are hunting grounds for hackers but a VPN masks your location and private data, making it very difficult for anyone to snoop around. VPNs encrypt your sensitive data before it even leaves your device, thus giving you some level of anonymity.
So, keep these 5 tips in mind and your online journey shall be on a safer path. Airtel, one of the most innovative brands, has been putting special focus on ensuring that for its customers and if you are an Airtel Xstream Fiber user, you can try Secure Internet service for a month for no cost at all.
This article was created in association with Airtel.
