There are a few simple things you can do to be more secure online. Just as you take precautions offline, you can take steps to safeguard your privacy and security online.

Don’t open attachments from suspicious senders

Be cautious about opening email attachments. If you don’t know the sender or the attachment looks suspicious, it’s safest not to open it. Viruses and malware can infect your computer, allowing hackers to access your information and steal your identity. Be wary of attachments with extensions like .exe, .bat, and .com that could contain viruses or spyware.

Use a trusted password manager

Create a unique, complex password for every website you create an account for. You can use a password manager app to help with this, as they will help you create random passwords and save those passwords for you. For a better experience, make sure your password manager is compatible with your browser. For example, if you’re using the Firefox browser, search for the best password manager for firefox browser.

Use strong passwords

Make passwords for websites long and complex by using at least eight characters — even more if possible — along with mixed types of characters such as uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Avoid using easy-to-guess passwords like “password,” “12345,” and “abc123.’’ It may seem like a no-brainer, but it is actually very common for people to use easy-to-guess passwords. It may be because they think their passwords are secure, but the reality is that the password’s strength is compromised by how easy it is to guess.

Make sure your operating system is up-to-date

Operating systems are updated frequently with patches that fix security vulnerabilities. Make sure that you keep your operating system up-to-date with the latest updates so that hackers can’t take advantage of known issues. A firewall is also a good way to make sure malware doesn’t get in through a vulnerable port on your computer.