The internet has been involved over the years and cannot be said to be just a connection of computer networks anymore.
There are a whole lot of things that happen on the internet and these are done by different kinds of people.
The internet has been very helpful to Ghanaians in a lot of ways that cannot be mentioned. Through the internet, Ghanaians are now able to order products online and have them delivered to their residence, people can now chat with their friends and loved ones no matter the distance between them, and people can also now apply for jobs on the internet.
There are even people who work from the comfort of their homes by using the internet. They do not have to go to any office. All they need is a computer with an internet connection.
However, just like everything that happens in the world, the usage of the internet in Ghana has a dark side as well. P
People who use the internet are mostly exposed to some harmful things as time goes on.
In this article, we try to gauge just how safe the internet is for Ghanaian user and how he or they can protect themselves from any harm that comes from using the internet.
Risks
There is certainly some amount of risk as long as a person uses the internet. The amount of risk a person faces depends on how often they use the internet, how they stay online, what they do, the websites they visit, and the things they download.
People who normally access the internet to chat on mobile phones by using messaging applications do not face much of a threat compared to the person who uses a computer to access it and visit various web pages.
Here are some of the risks that people face when they use the internet.
Fraud
Fraudsters conduct their nefarious activities on the internet as well. They operate on the internet now more than they do physically or through mobile phones.
These fraudsters sometimes message an internet user and pretend to be big-time online investors who can help the user get rich within a short time.
People normally fall victim to these fraudsters and end up sending them money, only to realize that it was a scam.
Malware
There is a lot of malware being created almost every day and this malware is distributed on the internet on daily basis.
There is a risk of acquiring malware on your computer system once you log onto the internet.
People who visit any website can get infected by malware because some of these websites are spoofed sites that are controlled by criminals.
Downloading just about any file is also one way to get malware to infect your computer
Phishing
Users can also be victims of phishing attacks. These are attacks in which cybercriminals steal valuable information from users.
This happens after the user opens an email that looks legit but has malware hidden in it. the information stolen is normally bank details that the cybercriminals later use to steal money from the victim’s account.
Privacy
The internet is not a place where one can visit and still expect some privacy. Almost everything that people do online is being tracked by one company or another.
Social media companies normally track the activities of users on the internet so that they can know the appropriate to show to them when they visit the social media site later on.
Facebook is known to snoop on the activities of its users to present their advertisements on all social media that are owned by it even if they will tell you about much encryption has been written for your sake. (I mean, can’t I bypass a code I wrote myself).
Keeping Yourself Safe
There are some ways that users can make sure to keep themselves safe when they visit the internet.
Firewall
Installing a firewall on a computer system is a must. This software blocks traffic that comes into your computer from the network.
It will, therefore, block any malware that tries to enter your computer should you accidentally visit a harmful website.
Avoid Downloads From Untrusted Sources
Avoid downloading apps and other things from websites that look fishy. It is advisable to make download apps from the play store of your operating system all the time.
Avoid Phishing
Avoid opening emails that look fishy, especially when they claim to be from financial institutions.
Always tell people to alert you when they send you an email so that you will know when to suspect an email or not since some emails can look legit to even ICT.
Avoid Fake Promotions And Giveaways
Ignore any message that comes to you on social media places like Facebook that promises you a lucrative online investment where you can double your money (you can click here to read the real ways to make money online) within minutes. All these are fraudsters that prey on greedy and ignorant people.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about your privacy online. If you care so much about your privacy, it is best not to go online.
Do not even use any social media apps. The best way will be to limit the amount of information that you put on social media.
Since tech companies track your activities so they can get paid by companies to display relevant ads to you, they can get it done regardless of any app that you try to block them with.
However, some browsers prevent tracking but these are still not 100% safe from trackers.
You now know of some of how the internet is unsafe to the average Ghanaian user. You also now know of some of the ways through which you can protect yourself when you are online. I hope that this article was really helpful.
