The Digital World Mirrors the Real World, Stay Safe

The digital world mirrors the real world in some aspects, in particular for women. Just like the real world, the rate of crime against women is increasing on the internet. Moreover, the situation seems to be getting worse with every passing day. This is why staying safe online, especially on social media, is paramount for the well-being of your digital presence.

A disturbing trend becomes clearly visible when we glance at the recent past. Passwords getting hacked, private images being leaked online, sensitive data compromised, data being held captive for ransom, etc.

All these incidents made headlines worldwide. But this shouldn’t deter women from updating their status on Facebook, shopping online for a new dress, or sharing/capturing private moments.

Therefore, on this visit of Google and SheThePeople.TV, I have put together a list of some surefire online safety tips for women that can help them stay safe and maintain control over their information.

1. Check the privacy policy before agreeing on it; private things shouldn’t  be posted as your friends and friends of friends can see it and can save it.
2. Never accept friend request whom you don't know personally.
3. Online games are fun loving but Make sure that you know the guidelines of any app/game or service and not allow it unrestricted access to your information.
4. Be cautious about using geo-location services, location-centric apps, Foursquare, etc.
5. Stalkers can easily access your location; Don’t use the same password for different accounts. If one fails, the rest will follow; Click “no” when a website offers to check your email address book to find your “friends.”
6. Some sites use this feature to send spam and viruses to everyone in your address book; Avoid using your name or a combination of your name as your username.
7. Log off when you’re not using an account and do not allow search engines or your computer to remember your passwords.
8. Except these there are also many ways for women to protect themselves while surfing the web and most of them are pretty easy.

Also Read: Digital Trust Dialogues: India needs safety dialogues for women

Chetan Ramawat is a student of Satyawati College, New Delhi and this effort is a part of Google India and SheThePeople initiative Digital Trust Dialogues across colleges in India.