Google to Users: Stop These Practices to Prevent Your Money from Being Stolen

In today’s digital age, our lives are increasingly intertwined with the online world through emails, social media, and more. However, this connectivity also exposes us to potential cybersecurity risks, such as fraud and malware.

To help safeguard your digital life, Google has highlighted six critical mistakes to avoid when using the internet and smartphones.

1. Avoid reusing passwords
   Google advises users to avoid using the same password across accounts. Reusing passwords can be risky, as a data breach could grant attackers access to all your accounts—or at least those with the same password. Google recommends using unique passwords for each account through a password manager.
2. Don’t ignore software updates
   Security breaches often result from vulnerabilities in devices, software, or apps. To counter this, developers and manufacturers regularly release security patches that fix exploitable flaws.
   Ignoring these updates puts your devices and data at risk. Google urges users to prioritize timely software updates to maintain optimal protection.
3. Failing to set a secure lock screen
   A simple lock screen protects your device’s data from prying eyes. Google warns against using easily guessed PINs like “1234” and recommends strong passwords or biometric measures, such as fingerprint scans.
4. Avoid clicking on suspicious links
   Malicious links disguised as legitimate ones are a common vector for malware. While vigilance is wise, Google also suggests enabling the enhanced safe browsing feature, which actively detects and warns against known phishing sites in real-time.
5. Not enabling two-factor authentication
   Adding an extra layer of security to your accounts, apps, and services can prevent many types of attacks. Google advises users to enable this critical feature to block unauthorized access to their accounts.