Keeping Safe Online
Friday, January 24th, 2014
You may have noticed the recent government campaign, entitled Cyber Streetwise that is encouraging people to be more vigilant online. A lot of the information provided is also applicable to online dating safety, so we’ve summed up what you need to know to stay safe online when looking for love.
Password protect your computer
Password protecting your computer is the first line of defence for your computer and helps to prevent people from accessing your files.
Create unique passwords
For many sites, including Muddy Matches, you will need to chose a password to protect your account. It’s tempting to use your pet’s name or the name of your favourite sports team, but they are obvious for people to guess. Try to include a selection of numbers and letters and don’t share it with anyone.
Keep your anti-virus software up-to-date
If you don’t have any anti-virus software on your computer, now is the time to install it. If you’re not techie yourself, ask a friend for help.
If you do have anti-virus software, make sure it it up-to-date and that you accept the updates that it offers (those annoying pop ups that are very tempting to ignore).
Check for secure payments
When paying for anything online, make sure that you are using a secure site. You can identify a secure site by looking for https:// before the website address or looking for a padlock in the task bar. For example, take a look at the task bar on Muddy Matches during payment (below).
Never give away personal details online
A lot of people try to sneak their phone number or email address into their online dating profile, which puts their personal details at risk.
We, at Muddy Matches will do our best to stop people from adding personal details into their profiles, but ultimately it is your responsibility to make sure that you don’t provide information that would enable people to track you down outside of the safety of the site.
It is also a good idea not to share too many details on social networking sites such as Facebook.
For more information about staying safe online, head to our safety advice page.
