Safer Internet Day is an annual event that is celebrated every year in February to encouraging safe and positive use of internet. This year's event is celebrated on February 5, 2019 for promoting positive use of technology among the young people and children. The theme of Safer Internet Day 2019 is 'Together for a better internet' encourages individuals to create a better internet by developing four, critical skills. The Internet safety is very essential as the fact that we are using internet for various things such accessing information, personal data, online banking, shopping transactions and much more. It becomes very vital to ensure safety of his/her transactions. Here are some simple steps that will keep your online transactions secure:-

1. Don't use public Wi-Fi or a public computer for making any online transaction or money transfer: It is advised that one should never attempt an online transaction on a public Wi-Fi or open network as the fact they often have few security features than a private network. So, it is recommended to carry out such transactions via phone data. In case of emergency, you should change the necessary passwords immediately. Google Highlights These Simple Steps To Remain Safe on Internet. 

2. Firewalls and Antivirus: It is recommended that you should be using an antivirus. If you are not using one, then your details and information are at risk. It is very important to install an antivirus on your device. You should always keep the antivirus on auto update, which will ensure auto update about the new malware hitting the internet each day. Thus, an updated firewall will keep your device protected. Moreover, it is also advised to keep your firewall on, which will block several sites that are malicious and suspicious.

3. Checking Digital Certificates: You should always keep a check on the digital certificates used while making a third party payment. Often we come across a symbol such as VeriSign on the window, and the users can get details about site's certification.

4. Don't Reply To Fraud Texts or Emails: We often receive emails or texts claiming to have won a contest or some sort of amount being credited in some particular account and so on. Well, these are emails that should never be opened. Also, you should never reply to such emails. It is advised to ignore such emails or possibly delete them immediately, if possible.

5. Always Prefer Virtual Keyboard: There are certain malware and viruses designed in such a way that they make a log of what is being typed on the keyboard. So, it is recommended to use virtual keyboard while doing online transactions. Banks generally provide an option for virtual keyboard on login pages and it is advised to use them.

6. Two Step Verification Should Be Enabled: If in case, your device doesn't have two-step verification, it is better to keep it turned on. The two-step verification involves passing two security walls for performing any particular operation on phone.

7. Keeping Track of Online Spending: It is better to keep a track of your balance and how much you are spending online. It is advised to dedicate a single debit or credit card for online transactions. This will make tracking your online expenditure easier. In case of any suspicious behaviour, you should immediately contact your bank.

8. Private Browsing: Private browsing is another way for protecting your information such as Incognito mode on Google Chrome. The private browsers doesn't save any passwords and history log. Moreover, the cache data and cookies are cleared from your device.

9. Connection Should Be Secure: It is very important to check for connection security which will feature a lock symbol on the address car. You should also check if 'https://' is in green, which indicates the connection is secured. However, if it is red or yellow, it is advised that you should never attempt an online transaction.

10. Don't Share Your Password: It is recommended that you should never share your password with anyone, not event family members. It is also advised to change the password after 2 to 3 months. Moreover, one should never keep the password same for all the accounts. If in case one account is hacked, all other accounts too become vulnerable. Password should be created with an alphanumeric combination containing lowercase and uppercase letters.

11. Log Out Once Done: Never leave your device without logging out from the account. Nowadays, several banks come with a system wherein they get automatically logged out after a period of inactivity. However, it is recommended to log out when done.

It is very much critical to protect our information, wherein money being one of them. No one likes losing hard earned money. As most of our life is spent online, it is essential to follow these steps to ensure safety of online transactions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 05, 2019 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).