Online security and privacy is a huge concern for many and there are a wide number of tips out there to help people stay safe online, yet every year more and more fall victim to a number of scam methods – so what are the best ways of staying secure in the digital era, particularly on your mobile device, and how can you avoid many of the common attempts to bypass your security?
2FA – or two-factor authentication. It is becoming extremely popular, and you’ll likely have already used this security method on some of the sites or services you need. An issue for some is that whilst 2FA may be available on a certain service, it may be hidden or not apparent that the option is there. Whilst it does hinder usability to some degree as there are extra steps to take, make sure to look around on all the sites and services to use to see if it is an option available – and if so, make as much use of it as possible – it helps a lot more than you may think!
Anonymity methods – One thing that is becoming more and more common are methods to stay anonymous online – this is becoming more common in mobile gaming as sites such as these ones for example allow the option to register anonymously, as well as make any payments anonymously through eWallets or crypto currency. This may be an option to explore, especially if you aren’t certain about the site or service you’re using – if this is an option that is available to use, utilising these alternative options may be beneficial to you.
Reviews and comments are essential – With so many similar sites and services popping up daily, it may be difficult to tell the trusted ones away from the untrustworthy sites – before using something you may be uncertain about, look through as many comments or user reviews as you can – the fact ones will stand out and look very obvious, so don’t stick to anything that’s full five or rock bottom one, look through a mix of everything to determine whether or not it is legitimate – if you’re ever in doubt, err on the side of caution and look elsewhere for a different service. This is in particular true for free applications, for example, as many will try methods to catch you out, and they may not be obvious without first reading comments.
There are also plenty of other security methods to ensure your online security that have been touted time and time again – stronger passwords are the most obvious to point out, but many websites won’t allow you to register without certain security here anyway – another option may be looking into a VPN for security, but these often have a price tag attached to them although may often provide the most security if you are able to cover the cost of subscription.
