On Internet Security Day, Google has some very important advice for Romanians who use the Internet daily and want to do it without a lot of hassle, so the tips below should help you avoid becoming one of the victims to those who want to steal your data, or worse, your money.
"User safety is at the heart of everything Google does. To mark Internet Safety Day, Google presents the latest updates and partnerships in this area.
Partnership for Education
Google announces partnership with “Academia Khan”, a non-profit education organization, for developing online courses in internet safety. Google will fund $5 million to create easy-to-access and understand online safety content, then available to Khan Academy's 18 million monthly users worldwide. People's interest in protecting themselves against online threats has increased recently. For example, in 2021, searches for “how to stop identity theft” increased 110% over the previous year. Google's previous efforts in awareness of the need for online safety have shown the positive impact that educational initiatives can have. Partnering with Khan Academy brings online safety information to a wider audience and makes it more accessible.
How to keep your information safe
Google provides people with easy-to-use tools for protecting personal information and online safety, such as Security check, which provides easy-to-follow recommendations for strengthening your Google Account security. In 2021, more than 1,5 billion people have it Security checked, and expectations are that in 2022 their number will increase. Moreover, in 2021 over 150 million people enrolled in the two-step verification system (2SV). Google studies show that enrollment 2SV leads to a 50% decrease in account compromises. More information about two-step verification on the Google blog: https://blog.google/technology/safety-security/reducing-account-hijacking/.
Here are some things any Google user can do to be safer online:
- Perform a Security check, Google's step-by-step guide that provides each user with personalized recommendations for improving their Google account security. Also, the Security Check process will prepare your Google account for when it's needed his recovery, which involves simple actions like adding a "backup" phone number or email address. This not only helps to verify your identity in case you forget your password, but also protects much better against attacks.
- Enable Two-step verification, because this solution makes a difference when the account password is compromised.
- USED Google Password Manager, integrated into the Chrome browser, Android and the Google app. The password manager helps to create strong passwords for all online accounts without the need for the user to remember them. Moreover, the solution checks whether already used passwords have been involved in password theft and ensures that the user will not fall victim to phishing attempts by verifying the authenticity of the page before logging in. It is also easy to use. Instead of typing the password, especially on mobile, the user just needs to press a button and the Password Manager will fill in the password.
What's new in Google's online safety:
- More protection for high-risk users, like the actors in the electoral area. Google collaborates globally with organizations such as International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) to improve the security of electoral campaigns and the users involved. Google encourages such high-risk users to enroll in Advanced Protection Program, which combines the strongest Google Account security options and proactively protects against the most advanced threats.
- Technologies of Safe browsing improved and added at the account level: These allow Google users to take their online safety to another level and benefit from the best protection against malware and phishing threats. Threat information will be shared between products to provide the best possible protection. Whether they're using Chrome, Gmail, or others, users can rest easy knowing they're protected because attackers won't be able to target them unnoticed through product silos. "
