- Most of us probably spend far more time online
than we ever thought we would.
And it's impossible to ignore how vulnerable we are
when we're out there surfing the World Wide Web.
If online safety and words like VPN and firewall
send chills down your spine,
we've got help.
Internet security can seem intimidating,
but it doesn't have to be.
This video will break down four easy tools
that you can use to lock down your privacy
and help you steer clear of online scammers and hackers.
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VPNs, or virtual private networks,
let you establish a secure connection
to other networks over the internet.
This allows you to browse the web anonymously,
which protects your computer
and your personal data from being discovered.
The VPN is sort of like a tunnel between your computer
and everything that's out there on the internet.
When you conduct a Google search using a VPN,
your inquiry is sent through the VPN connection.
That means Google then sends the search results
back to your computer
through the VPN connection.
It's sort of like a middleman that does all the work,
so you don't have to risk getting your hands dirty.
And it's really important to use a VPN
when you're out in public.
So if you wanna search the web when you're out and about,
or do online shopping when you're out,
on a public network,
don't advise it.
Using a VPN could be a way to do that more safely.
A firewall is usually the first line of defense
when it comes to protecting private information
and keeping out threats,
like viruses and malware.
Firewalls monitor incoming and outgoing traffic
on your computer network,
whether it's your home Wi-Fi network,
or a large company network,
like you might find wherever you work.
Firewalls basically work as a barrier
between your protected network
and unauthorized users and networks.
But firewalls are not foolproof.
Firewalls act kind of like a bouncer
that checks out individual users
before they're allowed behind the velvet rope,
but it may not catch every fake ID,
and it certainly won't hunt down
and kick out the riffraff once they sneak by.
So that means you shouldn't rely solely on a firewall
to keep the bad elements out of your network,
files, and information.
You can implement firewalls
on either software or hardware form
or you can use some kind of a combination.
Once you have a firewall in place,
all traffic entering or leaving the protected network,
must pass through it.
The firewall inspects each message
or action against specified security criteria,
kind of like checking IDs at the door.
Anything that isn't up to snuff gets blocked.
Parental control apps are used to keep an eye on kids,
both online and offline,
and can help you find out what they're doing
on their smartphones and tablets.
Now, parental controls can either be a third-party app
that you install,
or many parental controls come built-in as settings
even on things just like Google or Chrome,
internet browsers,
there's a lot of built-in parental controls,
so be sure to check out all the software
and platforms that you're using.
Parental controls can either be third-party apps
that you install
or built-in settings you can activate
to block inappropriate content
and protect your kids online.
A lot of internet browsers
and platforms come with parental controls built-in.
You just have to seek them out and set them up.
Now, parental controls can be used in a number of ways:
they can help you ensure
that your children access only age appropriate content,
you can set usage times
to limit how much screen time they have,
and you can monitor the type of activity that's going on.
But how do parental controls work?
Parental control apps basically provide information
about your child's app usage,
their overall screen time,
web searches, history, chats, texts, emails,
and social media activity.
When something that is on the bad list,
or the worry list,
gets caught by the parental control filter,
you're gonna get a notification.
It might be through an app,
a text message on your phone,
or an email.
Some parental control apps will also monitor calls
and social media activity.
And you can set up like red flag words or phrases,
so that they'll let you know
if something like cyber bullying might be going on.
The exact features and reports vary from app to app.
You can get all the details
in our full list and recommendations on safewise.com.
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A password manager is an app on your phone,
tablet, or computer
that stores your passwords,
so you don't need to remember them.
Hallelujah!
Once you've logged into the password manager
using a master password,
it will generate and remember your passwords
for all your online accounts.
Thank heavens.
Now, here's why you need a password manager.
According to a survey by Digital Guardian,
more than half of the general population
reuse their passwords
I've done it.
I know you've done it.
And the worst offenders are people between 18 and 24.
These digital natives,
they should know better!
But they're not doing better,
so we need to lead by example.
And 64% of all passwords
across all age groups
are rated as weak.
Now, password managers will help you get rid
of those weak, reused passwords for good.
Here's what they do:
keep track of every single password that you have.
They can generate strong, unique passwords for you,
so you don't have to come up with tricky things,
and you are only required to remember one password,
the master password.
You can also get our recommendations
for the best password managers on safewise.com.
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Let's face it.
If you go online,
and who doesn't,
here we are right now,
you are vulnerable.
Understanding and taking advantage
of the tools and resources
that are available to protect your identity
and other sensitive information is vital.
Get more resources
and find all of our internet security recommendations
on safewise.com.
Hey, thanks for watching.
And for more safety tips, reviews, and advice,
head on over to safewise.com,
or stay tuned right here for our next video.
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