(Newswire.net — October 21, 2022) — We’ve all been there: you’re browsing the internet, and suddenly you realize you’ve been making the same mistakes over and over again. Whether it’s clicking on those pop-ups or not clearing your cookies, these mindless errors can add up over time. In this post, we’ll go over some of the most common browsing mistakes people make and how to avoid them. So read on if you want to start browsing smarter!
Not Using a VPN
Of all the mistakes that people make when browsing the Internet, one of the most common is not using a VPN. A virtual proxy network is a middleman between you and the sites that you plan on visiting. You can easily learn how to use a VPN on Earth web. The most important thing to know is that when you visit a site, a connection is made between your computer or device and the website.
What a VPN does is give you a fake IP address that websites will connect to instead of connecting to your device. More importantly, it protects you from anyone trying to intercept your data, which is crucial if you use public Wi-Fi often.
Using Autofill
Another very common mistake that people make all the time when browsing the Internet is using the autofill feature that many search engines provide. If you’re not aware, the autofill feature auto-fills your username and password for the site that you are attempting to log into.
While this is incredibly convenient, it is also quite dangerous. This is because third-party scripts can gather email addresses, and if you are using the autofill feature, there is a high likelihood that it will gain your password too. This also puts your device at physical risk, since if your device is stolen, people will have access to your personal information and access to the sites you have auto-filled.
Visiting Unsafe Sites
Even though many search engines, such as Google, are taking big strides and making large developments in protecting their users, this doesn’t mean that unsafe sites don’t exist. A big mistake that users often make when searching the Internet is visiting unsafe sites.
The easiest way to determine if the site you are visiting is safe or not is if the site has SSL encryption. This can be easily seen by the locked symbol on the top left of the URL bar. If the site you’re visiting does not have a lock symbol, you should leave the site since it means that it is not encrypted and your data is at risk.
Not Using Antivirus Software
Of all the mistakes that people make when browsing the Internet, one of the most common is not using antivirus software. This is an easy mistake to make since Windows does come with antivirus software. However, it is not as efficient or effective as other software on the market.
If you were using antivirus software, you would know when a site is unsafe since your antivirus software will give you a notification that a malicious connection is being made. More importantly, many antivirus software will scan websites for any malicious files or codes. In addition to this, if you do happen to download something from a harmful site, your antivirus software will block that download from even being made.
Using the Same Password
Much like using the autofill option, another common mistake that people make when browsing the Internet is using the same password for every site that they have registered with. The main reason this mistake happens is that people assume that nothing will happen to them.
Instead of making the job of a cybercriminal much easier, you should try to vary your password with each site that you visit. This can be made easier by using a password manager so that you don’t lose track of your passwords, or even simply by writing them down.
Downloading Illegal Software
Finally, a mistake that many people are guilty of is downloading legal software, since it’s free. Even though you might be saving money in the short term, you don’t know what type of malicious software you could be downloading in addition to the software that you have illegally downloaded.
Because the software comes from illegal sources, there is no guarantee that the files have been scanned for viruses or malware, and there is absolutely no recourse if you fall prey to cybercrime as a result.