Internet safety is a growing concern for all of us. Every day we are attacked by computer viruses, threatened with malware, phishing or hacking, … Protect yourself by adopting these basic safety measures.


Be careful !

Do you receive messages from acquaintances with a text that contains lots of spelling mistakes ? Is your inbox filled with e-mails inviting you to click on their hyperlinks ? Are there unexpected attachments ? Or do you get invitations to reset your password ?

Be careful, these are most likely fake e-mails that are trying to infect your computer or steal your personal data.


Do not use the Internet with your ‘administrator’ profile

Every computer user has privileges or rights. These rights allow a user to perform specific actions or to consult certain documents. If you surf on the Internet with an account that has extensive rights, you make it easier for criminals to infect the entire business network.


Change your password regularly

It is recommended to change your password every 6 months;


Use safe passwords

Your date of birth, the one of your children or the name of your favourite pet are not safe passwords ! The perfect password should be impossible to guess.

Create a mix of numbers, upper case and lower case letters. Writing down a password is the same as putting the pin code of your debit card in your wallet ! Avoid using the same password on different websites.


Keep your system up-to-date

You can reduce security risks on your computer by keeping your operating systems and software up-to-date (antivirus, firewall, etc. …). Updates repair security leaks and protect users. Failing to install updates makes it easy for criminals to attack your system.


Keep your personal information private

Internet is often compared to a street where the whole world takes a stroll. Just like in the real world it is important to keep your credit card numbers, telephone numbers or home address private. Be careful where you leave your personal data, and make sure you are using official and secured websites.

Conclusion: ‘Prevention is better than cure’. And remember the following golden rule: never put something on the Internet that you want to keep under your control !