• Common practical tips for protecting yourself on the internet include:
  
  • Consider what you share in profiles.
  • Think about photos before sharing.
  • Check a company’s privacy policy before buying.
  • Watch out for phishing scams.
  • Keep an eye on accounts.
  • Be aware of your internet presence.
  • Report identity theft.
  • Be on the lookout for sexual predators.
  • Set your privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing.
  • Be careful before sending intimate photos with anyone.
  • Learn how to report abuse or block other users on social media sites.
  • Only shop at reputable online merchants. You can check their verification by visiting the better business bureau and searching for information on the shop. https://www.bbb.org.
• Common practical tips for keeping your accounts secure include:
  
  • Choose a strong password and do not reuse the same password for multiple sites.
  • Keep your passwords in a safe spot.
  • Watch out for keyloggers and malware.
  • Stay vigilant at all times.
  • Think before opening email attachments; attachments can contain viruses.
  • Consider the legitimacy of free programs.
  • Keep your virus software up to date.
  • Watch for fraud.

Remember not everything you read online is necessarily true. Consider the source of the information and do research see if it is true. Read beyond the headlines that may have outrageous claims in efforts to gain clicks to its site. Check the author and any supporting sources for the story. Check to see if the news is satire, sites like the onion are political sites that make jokes in the form of fake news articles. Lastly consider how your own bias could affect your judgment on the article.

A VPN is a virtual private network that gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. VPNS mask your IP address, so your online actions are mostly untraceable. This can be helpful when using public Wi-Fi to secure and encrypt your information such as shopping, paying bills, or sending emails. A VPN can be free or purchased through a reputable security site or app on your phone.