Safer Internet Day

Today is Safer Internet Day. Originally started in 2004, Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues. One such issue very close to us at GoTrusted is, of course, digital privacy. Our VPN service believes in the idea that people deserve privacy and safety browsing the internet and we work very hard to ensure that that remains possible.

Our digital lives are so interconnected with our regular lives that it's very important to be diligent in how we use the internet and who we allow access to our information. Something as simple as using an unsecured hot spot can result in your sensitive accounts being compromised. There's no reason your information should be going anywhere that you aren't fully aware of and that's just one of the things our VPN service can help with.

Safer Internet Day

It's that time of year again. Safer Internet Day is today and we have some more tips for protecting you and your loved ones while online.

1. Use different passwords

 It sounds like it could be confusing, but this is one of the best ways to make sure that if only one account is compromised instead of all of them. Saving you a lot of headaches in the end. 

2. Choose strong passwords 

Using password as your password, if you didn't know, is asking for someone to just help themselves to your account. Avoid using your name, birthdate or other similarly obvious password combinations. It's also a good idea to change your passwords every six months.

3. Use a VPN Service

Using a VPN Service is a great way to protect information you are sending and receiving. Services like GoTrusted encrypt your data so it is unreadable to anyone else, but the intended website. Even if someone is somehow able to nab the data they would have no way to look at it. This can keep you safer online whether you're at home or at the coffee shop down the way.

4. Don't reveal to much on social networks 

Be careful what you are sharing and who you are sharing it with. Information you post can easily be used by hackers to figure out security questions and passwords. This also stretches into reality as well. Publicly posting that you're out of town for the week could be an invitation for burglars.

5. Protect your Computer and Browser

This one is an obvious one. You should always be running the latest version of your anti-virus, operating system, and VPN. Making sure your'e up to date keeps you up to speed with current viruses that are circulating and closes known bugs in your operating system that could be exploited.

6. Secure your wireless connection

This means setting a password and changing your network ID from the default. How many times have you seen open networks named 'Linksys' or 'Netgear'? Leaving your connection open like that leaves you vulnerable. It's possible for people to connect to your network and look at any device connected to it. 

7. Shop at safe websites

Always look for the padlock next to the site address and that it has HTTPS in the url. This shows the site is secured. 

8. Think before clicking links

Scammers and phishers are getting smarter and more creative all the time. Anyone can make a complete copy of a website easily. Be careful with the links you click in an email. If they seem suspicious, don't click them! Receive an email from Amazon about your order that you never placed? It's always safer to navigate to the main site and log-in than it is through an email link. These are just some ways scammers are trying to get your login credentials. 

Safer Internet Day is organized by Insafe during February as a way to promote safety online.

Online Tracking and Ways to Prevent it.

A recent article on http://www.abine.com about current online tracking practices highlights just how much information we may be giving out without our knowledge.

They have a nice infographic showing who may be tracking you, as well as some of the most common and simplest ways these companies track consumers.

Reasons for tracking are generally for advertisers to try and target people specifically and to build consumer ‘profiles’, but most people worry that these reasons are not always on the up and up.

In a questionnaire to Wall Street Journal readers, 60% said they worry ‘Tremendously’ about the loss of online privacy.

There are, of course, some simple steps you can sue to combat unwanted tracking and profiling. These include: Making sure your social networking sites privacy settings are set correctly, delete your information from companies that publicly sell it, running a free browser add-ons like DoNotTrackMe, and running a VPN like GoTrusted.

Running a VPN service will make you anonymous and prevent sites from targeting you by your geographic location as well as keeping you safe from sites that may try to view your browsing or buying habits online.

GoTrusted Celebrates Safer Internet Day

Along with industry majors, such as Google, Microsoft, and others, GoTrusted is marking this day, the ninth annual Safer Internet Day (SID), to bring awareness of how to use the Internet safely for all users.

Important steps for anyone using the Internet, especially parents:

• Keep computers that children use in a central location in the home

• Have an open discussion with your child about what they do online and where they go

• Maintain an up-to-date antivirus software to prevent trojans and other malware browser plugins from monitoring you or your child's activity

• Get in the habit of having your child use a VPN Service when browsing or chatting in order to protect their identity and location such as school they attend, cafes they visit, libraries, and other information that can be obtained from their IP address when using the Internet without a VPN Service. This goes for parents as well.

• Teach your child proper online communication etiquette - avoid chatting to strangers about private information such as places of work, school and other personal information.

More information is available at the SID official website:

Use the Internet Safely Today! ...and every other day.