Security tips
Most people use some kind of social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest) and as a result our personal details become easily available.
Social media allows you to share pictures, files, messages and even up to minute information about what you are doing and where you are. Although these networks can be very useful and promote social interaction both online and offline, you are making information available to people who may want to abuse it. There are people you know on the web and people you don’t know.
Women human rights defenders, activists and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people often become targets for abuse and violence on the internet by homophobic, lesphobic and transphobic people or people who are against women’s rights. However any person can become a target at any time, it could be a bully at school or university, an abusive partner who abuses you online or someone who stalks you online. Stealing someone’s identity is also becoming increasingly more common.
We want our users to be safe online. Read our top 10 tips on how to stay safe.
- Ensure that your computer has a good anti-virus program which can prevent your information or data from being damaged, infected or destroyed
- Be very cautious when opening email attachments or any files from a source which you do not recognise
- When last have you check your privacy settings on your phone, computer?
- To keep safe on the internet change your passwords regularly as a matter of routine.
- Be careful when accessing your social networking accounts in public spaces such as an internet café. Delete your password and browsing history when using a browser on a public computer after you are done.
- Are you using a secure password? To safeguard your username, password and other information use https:// which adds another level of security
- Be aware of what personal information you share online and how much information you share
- Consider use pseudonyms or separate identities for different campaigns and activities you are working on
- Particularly for human rights defenders, women rights activists and LGBT activists ensure that you have anti-spyware tools on your computer which can prevent malicious spyware that can track the work you do, both on your computer and on the internet and reveal confidential information about you.
- Disconnect your computer from the internet when you are not using it and shut it down completely overnight
Please also see the following links
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) (https://www.apc.org/en/home) – is a network and organisation who believes that the internet should be accessible and safe for everyone. APC sees internet rights as human rights and empowers and supports organisations and social movements to use Information, Communication and Technologies as a tool for social change. They also work to ensure that particularly women’s human rights defenders and LGBT activists have information to protect themselves from threat on the internet.
How to find tools and tactics for digital security – https://securityinabox.org/en
How to protect your device from malware and hackers – https://securityinabox.org/en/guide/malware
How to protect yourself on social networking sites – https://securityinabox.org/en/guide/social-networking
How to deal with privacy and anonymity – https://www.takebackthetech.net/know-more