Internet safety tips for Online Students
Did you know that four out of every ten kids have been victims of cyberbullying? While it is true that the digital era has made the world much more accessible, it has also opened doors to unwanted guests and inappropriate content. This makes students and their devices vulnerable to hacking and theft.
Hence, it is important for us to take major steps in curbing online security threats. Parents and tutors must guide students and also help them understand the importance of building online learning communities. Such groups consist of students from different parts of the world, which allows everyone to learn from each other.
Besides this, here are a few more steps students can take to protect their identity and personal information:
Be vigilant with your personal information:
As an online student, you will have to share a lot of sensitive details such as your bank account details, ID proofs, etc. But, before sharing such details you must ask yourself a few questions like:
• What are you sharing?
• Why are you sharing these details?
• Who are you sharing the details with?
These are a few online education missteps students tend to make. By being a little careful, you will be able to save yourself from at least 40% of the problems. In case you notice any discrepancies in the platform, it is best to avoid it completely.
Keep your electronic devices locked:
By making everything accessible on our fingertips, social media has made us quite lazy as well. This is exactly what hackers need; for you to leave your location, personal information, financial transactions and more to be stored in your devices without any protection.
To keep your information secret, make sure to log out from all the platforms on time. use difficult passwords and do not share sensitive information with anyone.
Exercise caution against virus or malware:
On the internet, there are various types of threat. Some may arise from downloading malicious software that will delete your data containing important information. Then there are those that lead the hackers to access your device and steal private information.
To stay away from all this, try to download a firewall. This will filter unwanted internet traffic and block or notify threats coming your way. But, remember to update it whenever required.
Be alert while using an insecure internet connection:
Who doesn’t love free Wi-Fi, right? The minute we see the notification on our device, we try to connect to it. This is another way to let hackers get into your system. To avoid this, make sure to connect to the right Wi-Fi, use security software and swift off your Bluetooth when you are not using it.
There are several important questions to ask before joining an online course, but the most important one is to check its authenticity. Ask your friends, ex-students or even current students to know more about the organization. This will save you a lot of time and a lot of money as well.
But as an online student, you must remember that nothing is quite private, online. This is why you should exercise precautions and follow the tips mentioned above.
