Don’t Risk Your Online Safety: Top Tips to Stay Cyber Safe!

We’re moving! Come and find us on www.cyberstart.com/blog where you will find even more tips, tricks and industry support. See you there!

Staying safe on the internet can seem like tricky business, but there are simple steps you can take to keep yourself secure. We’ve gathered our top team of cyber security experts to share their top tips for protecting yourself online:

1. Be choosy about your plug-ins

CyberStart Researcher, Hashem said:

“Disable any browser plug-ins which you don’t need and avoid Flash Player if possible. Many modern browsers will ask your permission before allowing a website to run a plug-in. Before saying yes, ask yourself: ‘Is this site trustworthy?’ and, ‘Do I actually need the functionality this plug-in offers?’. If either answer is no, do not enable the plug-in.”

2. Be wary of emails

CyberStart Security Researcher, Owen said:

“When opening attachments or links in emails, always check the sender’s address. Where you can, navigate to the website yourself instead of clicking on email links. Pay attention to grammar and punctuation in the email as this is often a sign of an untrustworthy sender. And of course, never disclose your passwords via email no matter who requests them!”

3. Think about what you share online

CyberStart Developer, Rachelle said:

“Everything we do online leaves a trace. Every post you make, every account you create, every comment you leave or Tweet you retweet. It’s easy to think these tiny, insignificant actions are just another needle in an enormous online haystack. But every year it becomes easier to find those needles.

Anyone you meet — a classmate, a potential employer, a teacher — can use the internet to find out a lot about you. Before you post, ask yourself: ‘Would I be happy for a stranger to know this about me?’. If the answer is no, don’t post.

Take the time to log out of all your accounts and Google yourself: you may be surprised by what you can find!”

4. Don’t reuse passwords

CyberStart Security Researcher, Simon said:

“Websites are often breached, and user passwords get stolen. If you use the same passwords for all your accounts, it only takes one website breach for you to effectively hand over the keys to the kingdom. It can be especially bad if your stolen password is also used for your email account. Each website that you have an account on should have a strong and unique password. The best way to make sure this happens is by using a password manager.”

5. Keep your software up to date

CyberStartCreator, James said:

“Keeping your software up-to-date hugely improves your digital safety. This includes everything from your web browser to Microsoft Word. Out of date software can be exploited to silently install malicious code such as ransomware. Software updates aren’t just for stability, they fix bugs that cybercriminals can leverage too. So, next time your computer asks you: ‘Do you want to update?’ don’t just click later and forget about it — say yes!”

What are your top tips for staying safe online?

Interested in our programmes? Check out where you can build your cyber security knowledge for free!

UK 13–18-year-old student programme: Cyber Discovery https://cyberdisc.io/medium

USA 13–18 year-old girls student programme: Girls Go CyberStart https://ggcs.online/medium

USA 18–year-old and above college student programme: Cyber FastTrack https://cyberft.io/medium