by Caryl Teh
The digital world is this wonder of technology that permits us to stay connected despite geographical barriers. But that also makes it a dangerous place. There are bad guys (ie. cybercriminals) looking to steal your personal information; your actions are irreversible (ie. whatever you post is there forever); and you yourself risk becoming a bad guy to someone if you don’t think before making a comment (which could also be immortalised in some person’s screenshot even if you delete it later).
You might not be able to control what other people do in this virtual environment, but you can control what you do. So today, we’ll be going through 4 very basic but wiser ways to navigate the digital world.
1. Install Security Updates
Ever notice that every month, your computer prompts you to restart to install updates and this can take anywhere between 5 minutes to an hour? There’s actually a name for that day. It’s called Patch Tuesday (a.k.a. Update Tuesday) – the commonly known name of Microsoft’s monthly release of security fixes for the Windows operating system (OS) and other Microsoft software.
These updates don’t exist just to annoy you; they are needed to keep your systems running in a safe and optimum virtual environment. So, make sure you install those updates, and maybe take advantage of that time to grab a cup of coffee and say good morning to a colleague.
2. Manage Your Passwords
Change your passwords at least once a year. We know, we know, it’s a hassle and “who really does this anyway?” Well, just bear in mind that hackers are getting very good at guessing your passwords to get to your personal files, banking, social media accounts… get the gravity of the situation?
So, to keep your personal information safe, we highly recommend using a password manager like LogMeOnce, BitWarden or NordPass (all of which have free versions). These tools will generate safe passwords for you and save your passwords for you so you’ll never have to worry about forgetting them.
3. Be Wise
If your social media profile is not private, ANYONE can read it. Including your future employers. So before you post something, stop and think. If it’s something you might regret and want to get rid of later, then maybe it’s wiser to simply not make it known on the world wide web to begin with. Remember, once something is on the internet, it is there forever. For everyone to see.
4. Be Kind
We acknowledge that seeing the number of likes, heart reactions or shares increase on your post makes you feel seen and validated by whoever your digital audience encompasses. But as you’re scrolling through Instagram, it’s good to remind yourself that people often only post the best versions of themselves online. (If you’ve ever walked down Bukit Bintang after work, you’ll see A LOT of this happening.)
Behind every online profile is another imperfect, fallible human being, just like you. So don’t use their posts as a way to measure their life, or yours. And be kind to yourself, and to them.
We hope this read has been insightful and equipped you with some basic handles on how to be wise when interacting in the digital world. If you enjoyed that and want to dive deeper into this topic, we highly recommend Crash Course’s Navigating Digital Information playlist.
Sources:
TechTarget
PCMag
