IN today’s day and age, the use of Internet and technology has become part of our everyday living. From booking your choice of transportation to buying your groceries online, a few swipes is all it takes to do these tasks conveniently. 

While many people might think that being online is safer than doing transactions in person because it reduces physical risks, there is still a risk among netizens to fall into the trap of cybercriminals. 

We tend to be amazed with how technologies get more sophisticated as time goes by, but those who want to come after your data are certainly keeping up. 

The scary part? Sometimes, it takes only one click to lose everything you have–including your own identity.   

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), the number of crimes under the category of cybercrimes increased by 68.98 percent in 2023. This includes 19,472 incidents compared to the 11,523 reported cases in 2022. 

On average, it’s about 53 cybercrime reports per day last year.  

Majority of the reported crimes include online scams, with 14,030 cases reported in February, 121 reported cases of sextortion, and other reported cases of cybercrimes including identity theft, online threat, data interference, computer-related fraud, love scam, cyber libel, and violence against women and children.   

There is no denying that cybecriminals are getting smarter. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways to protect ourselves from being the next victim.

Here’s how you can stay safe online:

Use a strong password 

According to Nordpass, one of the most common passwords being used are ‘’qwerty123,” “admin,” “p@ssw0rd,” and “12345678910.” Unfortunately, as easy as it is to remember, it is also easy for hackers to crack this in minutes. 

Upon creating an account, social media platforms and other websites usually suggest for users to have a password by combining a punctuation mark, upper- and lowercase letters, and numbers. 

While it can be quite a hassle for us to remember a password with multiple combinations, it’s probably for the best. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Be wary of pop-ups and fraudulent e-mails

There are times when a website pop-up or a spam e-mail would ask for you to share your e-mail and password. While this is one of the oldest tricks in the book, some Internet users still fall into this trap, causing them to unintentionally put their data at risk.

Keep in mind that established brands would never ask for your login credentials through a pop-up or junk e-mail. 

Keep your system up-to-date

Updating your security software is a must and one of the best ways to keep cybercriminals off your accounts. 

By keeping your systems up to date, cybercriminals won’t find a loophole to hack into your data. You will be able to dodge their cyber attacks. 

Enable two-factor authentication 

Many websites offer a two-factor authentication where users are given an opportunity to further secure their online accounts or apps.

Before being able to access a website, users with multi-factor authentication are required to input a code that is different from their password. It is far more difficult for a hacker to access your accounts if you enable this option.

Public Wi-Fi is not your friend

While it’s tempting to get connected to a free public Wi-Fi, being connected to such a network can make your data vulnerable because anyone who is also connected can see what you’re surfing. 

Even if we try to avoiding connecting to a public Wi-Fi, there may be times when you might have to connect into one due to an emergency. But in order to keep your privacy and data connected, users can use virtual Private Network (VPN).

This is to encrypt the user’s Internet traffic, making it difficult for hackers to spy on your device. 

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