Online safety & security are non-negotiable for users nowadays. An estimated 96% of parents (Internet Matters Report) believe that Internet safety and security is a top priority for their children. Of those polled, 63% already have top-tier Internet security installed on their PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.  The Internet is a hive of activity, replete with good and bad actors. Some sites are simply best avoided, and for that users require top-end Internet safety tools.

 

What benefits are available from Internet safety tools?

Whether you are casually browsing the Internet, reading email messages, blogs, forums, shopping online, or engaged in work-related activity, there is no question about it: safety is sacrosanct. Owing to the rapid pace of technological advancement, we can access Big Data at a rate of knots. It’s possible to instantly ‘teleport’ yourself anywhere in the universe, and discover exciting information at the click of a button.

Unfortunately, when you venture into uncharted territory you put yourself at risk. The great beyond – the virtual arena of 1s and 0s in cyberspace – is a breeding ground for fraudsters, hackers, and viruses. It all begins the moment you connect through your ISP to the World Wide Web. The safety of your connection (secure socket layer, firewall protection, 2FA, password encrypted logins) largely determines the level of risk you put yourself at. Strong passwords form the bedrock of a safe browsing experience. Password generator tools with encrypted data and password-protected content are a good place to start.

 

Install browser-based Internet safety tools

The safety and security of your browser is equally important. Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and others feature a host of security features, add-ons, plug-ins, and applications designed to beef up your security. By preventing malicious attacks from infiltrating through your cyber defenses, you can maintain the integrity of your online communications, logins (username/password combinations), and data flows.

Various high-tech tools are available to aid you in this undertaking, notably ones that allow you to check site safety as your point of departure. MyWOT – acronym for Web of Trust – is a powerful online tool for vetting the validity, safety, and security of a specific site, IP, or URL. Users simply need to copy paste the URL or IP into the check box, click the ‘Check Site Safety’ button, and it’s done. Unlike other complicated antivirus, malware, adware, and Trojan checkers/blockers, WOT makes it really easy to stay ahead of the curve. This extension can instantly be added to any browser.

 

Powerful antivirus software to boost online security

Antivirus software serves as a buffer against the nefarious advances of hackers. By preventing attacks, blocking sites, applications, suspicious URLs, and other intrusions, antivirus software serves as a powerful defense. Many world-class AV products are available, including Norton, Kaspersky, McAfee, Bitdefender, and the like. Provided they offer broad-ranging coverage against threats, these antivirus programs can provide an impermeable barrier between your IoT devices and the Internet.

Nowadays, antivirus software programs offer comprehensive, multi-device coverage for PC, Mac, Android, and iOS devices. Annual subscriptions for premium protection come with regular upgrades, updates and protection against the latest threats. The absence of powerful AV software can result in the loss of personal and financial information, computer files and folders, and even the functionality of your devices too. Among the many threats lurking out there on the web are the following:

• The lack of HTTPS encryption for secure browsing i.e. HTTP
• Malware, adware, ransomware, Trojan horses, and other viruses
• Phishing attacks which attempt to siphon personal, sensitive information
• Poor password protection protocols i.e. reused passwords, easily guessable passwords
• The security of IoT devices must be ironclad – one weak link can bring down the system

 

Identify vulnerabilities with a proactive approach

Internet safety tools are designed to check all possible areas of weakness and vulnerability. Incoming files, folders, photographs, movie clips, attachments, and pop-ups must be treated as potential attacks against your computer, mobile, or handheld computing device. Powerful Internet protection tools can identify threats before they have been actuated, thereby preventing a disaster from happening well in advance. Browser-based add-ons and extensions, antivirus software applications, firewall protection, password-encrypted content, and commonsense safety go a long way towards achieving the goal of online safety and security.