All users are at risk online without the taking the necessary precautions. Social networks and online services (such as banking) in particular are places where users are at risk of becoming victims of fraud and cyber crime. Criminals look for vulnerable passwords and connections to hack and use your personal or official information. Electronic devices are the largest source of information about you so take care of your own cyber se-curity.

Electronic device safety:

1. Update your device security systems regularly.
2. Back up important files systematically.
3. Set the privacy and security mode for websites.
4. Pay attention to web addresses while paying online: “https://” means that the site takes additional security measures for its customers; “http://” defined the link is not secure.
5. Do not use official mailboxes for private correspondence.
6. Scan USBs or other external devices for malicious applications and viruses before connecting.

Secure Wi-Fi connection:

Free Wi-Fi connections in public places often have no passwords. This makes your device vulnerable to attack. 

1. When signing into a Wi-Fi network, use only Wi-Fi access points that have WPA or WPA-2 security protocols to protect your wireless connec-tion.
2. The best option is to use a personal Wi-Fi modem or access the In-ternet using a prepaid package of mobile operator services.
3. Turn off the “auto Wi-Fi connection” function. 

Spyware Protection:

Most spyware programmes are "embedded" in mobile applications. When you install them on your smartphone you could be allowing them to access your location, contact list, social media accounts and mailboxes. 

1. Install applications only from official and proven services such as Chrome Store, Add-ons and Play Market for Android, App Store for iOS.
2. Do not allow a smartphone, tablet or PC operating system to auto-matically install applications from unknown sources.
3. Regularly delete unused programmes.

Email security: 

If attackers hack into your email they may try to change your passwords, access your personal photos and videos or send spam on your behalf.

1. Enable two-factor authentication with your mobile phone. If an in-truder tries to get the password to your mailbox you will automatically re-ceive an SMS message about unauthorised access.
2. Set a reliable password and do not use the Russian services like “Yandex.ru”, “Mail.ru” for its recovery.
3. Do not open suspicious email attachments that have extensions such as ".exe", ".bat", ".cmd", ".vbs", ".docm", ".xlsm", etc.