Safer Internet Day: How to become a true security ninja in six simple steps

6 February, 2023

Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns on February 7, 2023. 

For this day, Kaspersky experts have created a list of secure useful tips that can help protect personal data and money across your digital spaces.

1. Secure your accounts with unique passwords and two-factor authentication

From loss of access to your game library or identity theft, stolen accounts can lead to many unpleasant consequences. In many cases, a password is the only thing standing between the private data stored in your account and cybercriminals. This why passwords should get special treatment.  

First of all, passwords should be unique, otherwise a data leak at one service will mean all your accounts are in imminent danger. Second, they should be long and complex, so that scammers couldn’t guess or brute-force them. As we all have dozens of accounts, its best to delegate the boring job of thinking up and remembering all those passwords to a password manager, a special piece of software aimed at making storing your credentials as secure and convenient and possible.  

Also, using two-factor authentication for all services that support it is a must. If a website has a feature of providing an additional confirmation that an account belongs to you via an SMS or, better, an authenticator app, enabling it will protect your account from almost any cybercrook. 

• Tune your privacy settings to the level that suits you

We all like to share small details of our lives, from vacation photos to what craft beer we sipped last night (https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/untappd-privacy-security-settings/46995/), on social media to get feedback and validation from our friends and family. However, sharing too much can lead to unexpected problems and provide leverage to scammers or cyberbullies. As using social media is for many an integral part of their lives, the best way to prevent your data from falling into the wrong hands is to check who has access to it. 

To do it, you can head to the privacy settings of your favorite social network and tune in to what kind of data (e.g. posts, pictures or date of birth) is available to whom. As these settings can sometimes be confusing, you can use various guides and tools, such as the free Kaspersky Privacy Checker that guides you through the various knobs in the settings, explaining the threats behind the various settings and which of their values are safe. 

• Do not give up your private data to strangers – even to AI-powered ones! 

People tend to be honest with other people, even with complete strangers, and some dishonest individuals may want to get advantage of that. The prime example of talking about private matters to strangers is online dating. A Kaspersky survey showed that one-in-six respondents who used online dating services had been doxed, that is, their private data was leaked online. Be wary of strangers that you match with or otherwise speak to online, as you can know neither their true identity (everyone can be a dog on the internet!) nor intentions.  

While some people are indeed suspicious of strangers, many also let their guards down when talking to chatbots. AI chatbots, such as the much-hyped ChatGPT, are becoming increasingly convincing, and many people tend to discuss private matters with them. While some chatbot services explicitly ask users not to write any private details as the conversations might be reviewed later. And as with any other service, data can be leaked as a result of a breach, so think twice before inviting your new AI friend to your house! 

• What about crypto exchange?

If you want to try using crypto this year and, in particular, crypto exchanges, then at the very beginning you should take care when choosing a suitable and reliable option. It is better to choose exchanges according to third-party ratings of aggregator sites and choose well-known eminent ones. Just a little research will help you better understand what kind of platform it is and what kind of reputation it has in order to secure your data and funds in the future.

• Let’s speak about crypto wallets

If you use browser-based non-custodial crypto wallets or hardware wallets, then you need to think about where and how to store the seed phrase. Writing it down on the computer in notes is an obvious option, but not the best option, as there is a risk that this password will be leaked in the event of an attack. You can write it down on paper and keep it at home – but in this case there is a risk of losing this piece of paper and then access to the crypto wallet and your funds will not be restored. A reliable option is to use encrypted and secure hard disk storage that will help you not to lose your password and at the same time protect it from hacking attempts and data theft.

• General secure tips for everyone 

In addition to the safe use of crypto wallets and crypto exchanges, you can follow general simple security rules that will once again help you avoid scammers and save your funds. For example, you can develop the habit of being wary of incoming requests in mail, instant messengers with any message: a very tempting offer, a threat to the security of its funds, and so on. In addition, when working with crypto transactions, you need to carefully watch what action is signed in the wallet (there are separate helper services for this).

Additional tips to strengthen your control over your personal data are available on the Kaspersky blog.