Top 10 rules for ensuring safety on the Internet and things not to do when online (your comprehensive guide)

A 19-year-old man running for public office in New Hampshire discovered the hard way that following rules for online safety is a must. As Seacoast Online reported, its opponents found the images in his social media posts to be sexually suggestive and indicative of past drug use. With this ease, his political career collapsed and he was thrown into the cradle. Unfortunately, he's not alone, as others' reckless online habits have left him exposed to scams, identity theft, and physical assault at the hands of people he meets online. As more users connect to the Internet through mobile devices, these risks are becoming increasingly diverse and growing.

Although applications take up a larger portion of most people's online interactions than traditional websites, this does not mean that the basic rules for ensuring online safety have changed. Hackers are still looking for personal information that they can use to access your credit card and banking information.

Unsafe browsing can lead to other dangers too – from embarrassing personal comments or photos that are nearly impossible to remove once posted online, to meeting people you've never been in a relationship with.

Here are the top 10 internet safety rules to help you avoid trouble in the online world (and beyond).

1. Keep personal information professional and to a limited level

Potential employers do not need to know your personal relationship status or home address. Rather, they need to know your experience and professional background, and how to contact you. You wouldn't give purely personal information to lonely strangers - don't give it to millions of people online.

2. Keep Your Privacy Settings On

Marketers love to know everything about you, and so do hackers. And each of them can learn a lot from the way you browse and use social networks. But you can handle the release of your information carefully. According to Lifehacker, there are settings available in both browser and mobile operating systems to protect your online privacy. Large websites like Facebook also have settings to improve privacy. These settings are sometimes (intentionally) difficult to find because companies want your personal information for their marketing value. Be sure to keep these privacy protections enabled and enabled.

3. Practice Safe Browsing

You wouldn't choose to go through dangerous areas - don't go through dangerous areas on the Internet. Cyber criminals use attractive content as bait. They know that questionable content attracts people and they may let their defenses down when they discover it. The shady world of the internet is full of fraudsters who are hard to spot as one careless click can expose your personal information or infect your device with malware. By resisting the impulse, you are not giving the intruder any chance.

4. Make Sure Your Internet Connection Is Secure

When you connect to the Internet in a public place, for example through a public Wi-Fi network, PCMag assures you that you have no direct control over its security. Corporate cyber security experts warn of "end points" – the areas where a private network communicates with the outside world. Your vulnerable endpoint is your local internet connection. So, make sure that your device is secure. When in doubt, wait for a better opportunity (i.e., a chance to connect to a secure Wi-Fi network) before providing personal information like your bank account number.

5. Be careful what you download

One of the most important goals of cyber criminals is to trick you into downloading malware – software or apps that contain malicious software or attempt to steal information. This malware can disguise itself as an app: anything from a popular game to an app that checks traffic or the weather. As PCWorld advises, don't download apps that look suspicious or come from an untrustworthy site.

6. Choose a strong password

Passwords are one of the most important vulnerabilities in the entire Internet security architecture, but there is currently no way to avoid them. The problem with passwords is that people choose easy-to-remember passwords (such as "password" and "123456") that are also easy for cyberthieves to guess. Choose strong passwords that are difficult for cyber criminals to hack. Password manager software can help you manage multiple passwords so that you don't forget them. A password is strong if it is unique and complex – composed of at least 15 characters that vary between letters, numbers, and special characters.

7. Shop online from secure sites

Every time you make a purchase online, you need to provide credit card or bank account information – and that's what cyber criminals are very eager to get. I only disclose this information to those sitesthat provide a secure encrypted connection. As the Boston University website states, you can identify secure sites only by http:; Sites may have a padlock icon next to the address bar.

8. Be careful what you post

The Internet doesn't have a delete key, as a young New Hampshire candidate discovered. Any comments or photos you post online may be there forever because deleting the original (possibly from Twitter) doesn't guarantee that any copies made by other people will be deleted. You don't need to "attract" that comment you wish you hadn't made, or get rid of that embarrassing party selfie. From here on out, don't post anything online that you wouldn't want your mom or future employer to see.

9. Be careful who you meet online

Some of the people you meet online never reveal their true identity. In fact, they may not even be real. As Infoworld points out, fake social media profiles are a common way for hackers to contact and steal from unsuspecting web users. Be as careful and aware in your online social life as you are in real life.

10. Keep Your Antivirus Software Up to Date

Internet security software can't protect you from all threats, but it will detect and remove most malware – but you should update it regularly. Be sure to stay up to date on updates to your operating system and apps. This provides an essential layer of security.

Remember these 10 basic internet safety rules to avoid many unpleasant surprises for careless online users.