Stay safe online
STAY SAFE ONLINE
With much of the real world now having been uploaded into cyberspace, the amount of time and number of things you do online has probably increased dramatically.
Though you might still be practising some of the usual precautions now, after a while – as with anything that becomes routine – you may let down your guard and become complacent.
But, just like walking around distractedly in the outside world can make you susceptible to accidents and crime, so too can wandering around the internet without paying attention. Here鈥檚 some things to think about.
Scams
Nigerian princes and random lottery wins still abound, but overall, scams are becoming more insidious and sophisticated. With so many platforms and so much private data readily available, con artists are having a field day.
Here are some tips on how to spot and avoid a con.
Emails
If it looks fishy, check who the sender really is. The name that appears at the top of the email could just be an alias. With some email clients, you can hover the cursor over the sender name and it will reveal their actual email address. With others, you may need to select a drop down option that says something like 鈥渟how original鈥�.
Never click a link in an email or open an attachment unless you absolutely trust the sender. Scammers are getting better at reproducing corporate documents.
Remember that banks and many other institutions will never ask for personal details, or include a link.
If you鈥檙e worried, contact the institution directly using contact details on their website – not the ones included in the email.
Chain memes
These come in all shapes and types: cute 鈥渟hare the love鈥� epithets; alarmist warnings; pass-it-on games; guilt inducing 鈥淚 bet none of my friends will鈥︹�� pleas.
What they have in common is that they ask you to copy the message, paste it into a new message and pass it on to X number of people you know.
Apart from the high annoyance factor and unnecessary additional cyber traffic, many of these messages help proliferate false information; create anxiety; waste time.
Even the seemingly positive messages may have nefarious intent.
Since the start of the pandemic, there has been an upsurge in chain emails and messages.聽 Don鈥檛 engage.
Official warnings and notifications will never be sent this way.
Some messages may come with attachments or code that contain – sorry, there鈥檚 no other word yet – viruses.
Fake news
During a crisis such as we鈥檙e currently experiencing, the wheel at the rumour mill spins like a dynamo.
It鈥檚 so easy for false, incomplete or misleading information to get a foothold and quickly become a 鈥渇act鈥�.
Before you panic about a meteor hitting the Earth (we鈥檝e had 聽drought, fires, floods, and pandemic, so it鈥檚 credible) do a bit of research.
Here are a few reputable fact-checking websites.
is jointly run by Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and ABC 今日吃瓜, and examines statements made in general news with a focus on local content.
is run by The Poynter Institute, which is a research and journalism school in the USA.
is a very popular fact-checking website that explores all sorts of rumours, from urban legends to political claims.
It鈥檚 always best to check a few different sources and seeing what the consensus is.
Privacy and Discretion
Not to put too fine a point on it, but everything has pretty much moved online. That means there is a lot of very personal, very intimate material coursing through the optic fibre veins of the world wide web.
What you do with another consenting adult (or multiples thereof) is entirely your own business鈥ntil it isn鈥檛.
You can鈥檛 see what鈥檚 happening outside the screen at the other end of your connection. Your cyber partner may be recording the encounter without your approval. They may have an audience.
When it comes to digital interactions, you have very limited control over the data. Even if you completely trust your cyber partner, you, they or the platform you are using may get hacked, or accidentally leak data.
Best practice is to be as anonymous as possible. Use a pseudonym and hide your face.
Unless you utterly know and trust someone, don鈥檛 share personal details and never share details on a public platform.
On that point, one detail you should share, unless it鈥檚 obvious, is that you are both (all) above the age of consent (17yrs in Tasmania and SA, 16yrs for the rest of Australia). If you鈥檙e interacting with people overseas you should check what the law is there.
Meeting people online can also make you emotionally vulnerable, especially if you live alone.
It鈥檚 easy to become manipulated or scammed once someone has built trust with you.
Even in the absence of ill intentions, any relationship you build online will be fraught by limitations. We don鈥檛 know how long we鈥檒l be in lockdown and that may make the craving for intimacy harder to bare.
Worse, of course, is if you become emotionally invested and the relationship sours or ends.
Have your support networks in place and make sure you reach out. Use professional services if you feel unable to cope.
Stay positive
At the moment we鈥檙e being bombarded with dire predictions and alarming statistics, and it can be very depressing and anxiety inducing.
It鈥檚 extremely important to stay up to date with the latest advice and restrictions, but it鈥檚 equally important to stay optimistic and motivated.
There are lots of trolls and keyboard warriors who like to vent their miserableness online. Don鈥檛 engage with them and please don鈥檛 be one of them.
Take a break from social media and the news. Watch something light or inspiring or do something creative.
The internet has its problems, but it鈥檚 also a marvel. Imagine what it would be like going through all this without it.
Let鈥檚 keep it positive.
You May Also Like
