Everyday ‘security’!

This is one of the interesting and common questions  that I have encountered on Quora – “How do we implement security in everyday life?(without any technical background)”

Here are a few of my suggestions to get started:

1.We do not have to share our location all the time. Agreed, it is fun to share every once in a while, but sharing regularly, definitely might put you on a malicious person’s radar. So, it is good not to share location on social media. It is also good to turn off ‘location’ on your phone except when using ride-sharing services or food ordering services(or similar to those options)
POINT #1:  LOCATION SHOULD BE TURNED OFF UNLESS NEEDED!!

2. It is also wise not to share personal pics on social media too frequently. If we have to share, it is imperative to set the option to ‘private’.

POINT #2:    SHARING OF PERSONAL PICS SHOULD BE SET TO ‘PRIVATE’ OR LOWEST LEVEL

3. It is good to put a profile picture that does not reveal too much of your personal life. India runs on Whatsapp groups – but did you know, Whatsapp profile pics can be downloaded to your phone?  In that regard, it is always wise to set Whatsapp profile pic visibility to ‘My contacts’ only.

POINT #3:       SET NEUTRAL PROFILE PICS OR PROFILE PICS THAT DO NOT REVEAL YOUR WHOLE LIFE!

4. It is good to not accept stranger requests on social media. It might be good for business purposes but if you are going to be divulging any personal information avoid it all costs. Cyber-stalking is very easy to do – just following you around on different social media channels can help anybody to create a whole persona of you!!

POINT #4:         DON’T ACCEPT STRANGER REQUESTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Other common security information:
5. Please do not share any of your passwords or PINs of your bank accounts or financial accounts to anybody on the phone.
6. Set a screen lock for your smartphone( for both Android or iPhones)
7. Do not click on unknown links in emails(anything that says “You are a millionaire” or “You have won the lottery” is definitely fake and is definitely a trap to part with your personal information)
7. For all types of devices and social media – go to the ‘Security’ configuration and configure it appropriately
8. Do not share credit card information if SSL is not enabled(SSL is the green padlock on the top left side of screen)

These are just a few things that can keep you safe online.

Have a safe day!