What’s your #1 tip for basic internet safety?
Nothing private in public! Avoid accessing your bank accounts, your home address, ID documents, and other private information on public WiFi. If on your phone, use your mobile data rather than an unsecure public connection.
What was something you didn’t know before #InternetIntelligence and have now adopted into your digital safety routine?
I had no idea digital wallets like Apple or Google Pay were so secure. I have always been too lazy to set up the app on my phone and I justified that by assuming they weren’t safe for some reason. Now I use my digital wallet more than my actual one!
Which #InternetIntelligence tip is your favourite?
I’m a big fan of our post on safe online shopping. I’ve spent more money than I’d like to admit by online shopping over the past few months, so having more information about it has been really helpful. I feel more confident using online stores and helping my parents use them, too.
What is your favourite app from the #InternetIntelligence App Spotlights?
I like HTTPS Everywhere a lot. Sometimes I get a little lazy and I’m not as diligent about online safety as I should be, so I’m a big fan of tools that do the work for me. It’s not magic, but automatically being sent to the secure versions of websites is really helpful.
Before #InternetIntelligence, what was a misconception you had about the internet that you now know is false?
I had always thought bandwidth and speed were the same thing, which always left me confused at commercials I’d see about internet services. Internet isn’t free so I’m happy to know more about how to assess what’s on offer and what I actually need.
What has become your internet safety motto?
When in doubt, Google it. (Or use your search engine of choice.) As much information as we might have, the internet probably has more. Whenever I’m confused or unsure about whether or not something online is safe, I Google it to see what information available or if other people know about it. This has led me to crowd-sourced sites like Reddit, where I was able to confirm that an email for a shipment from DHL was legit, as well as more traditional sources of information.
Any final thoughts?
I had a great time working with everybody at NCF and interacting with members in the comments! The internet is so important and there’s so much to learn about it, I’m really thankful that I got the opportunity to both learn a lot and share what I learned with other NCF members.