Technology has changed our way of life in the span of 20 years, so being savvy about your privacy and safety online is important.
Learn Local providers offer a variety of different computer courses to help people stay up to date with the latest technologies, and our trainers will be able to help you with ways to be safer.
In the age of social media where people are uploading photos and details about their lives to the internet, it is easier more than ever to keep in touch with loved ones and what they are up to – and this is a fantastic thing! However, there are risks involved with sharing specific types of information that anyone can access. By taking a few small precautions, you can safeguard yourself.
Password protection
The most important part of being safe online is having strong passwords that only you would know and cannot be guessed by a person who knows even a little bit about you. This means no “1234567” or “Password”, or even the name of your current pet or Date of Birth. Come up with something more randomised that is easy for you to remember but impossible to guess, such as a combination of your childhood street name, the year you graduated high school and your favourite super hero, so for example ‘Smith2019Batman’.
Information sharing
Posting photos and updates about your life on social media is an easy and fun way to update your friends and families. However, some information should never be shared online such as your address, phone number, any identification numbers (e.g. Driver’s License, Passport or Medicare numbers) and other personal information used for identification purposes, which other people can use to gain access to your bank accounts etc.
Change your privacy settings on social media
Make sure it is only your friends and family that you are sharing your personal information with. Facebook has a variety of different privacy settings that can protect you. Just click on settings in the drop-down menu at the top of the page to adjust your privacy settings to make sure strangers can’t see your updates. Also, only accept friend requests from people you know in-person.
Come to one of the many computer classes offered at your nearest Learn Local provider to arm yourself with knowledge about computers. From basic classes, such as turning on a computer and accessing the internet, to becoming more familiar with your tablet and social media, to more advanced classes that cover graphics software, such as Photoshop.
Resources
Formulating a strong password that you will remember
http://www.security-faqs.com/how-can-i-formulate-a-strong-and-safe-password.html
Facebook Privacy Settings
https://www.facebook.com/help/325807937506242
How to set up Facebook privacy settings