As a woman, do you feel unsafe online? Are women more at risk than men while browsing the web? 

Internet Threats Image by Zoe Fernandez unsplash

Internet Threats Image by Zoe Fernandez unsplash

A recent UK study would agree with you if you said “Yes” to either question. 

Findings show that 60% of women indicated they had been trolled, harassed, or scammed on the internet.

Covid-19 may no longer be uppermost in our minds, but many of the changes it brought, such as increased online activity, working from home, etc. have become the new normal and come with increased risk.

Fortunately, you can take steps to protect yourself online in 2022. Some are site- or app-specific, but others apply across the board. But what are they?

Let’s find out!

An ultimate internet safety guide for women: 7 tips

#1. Browse safely and securely

The need to protect yourself and your data online regardless of whether you are surfing the internet, sending emails, or spending time on social media grows annually.

Here’s a list of tips on how to browse safely and securely online:.  

  • Use strong passwords. It’s an essential, easy, cost-free way to protect data and accounts. Don’t use obvious ones like your date of birth or the same one for everything and change them regularly. If you think you will struggle to keep track of them all, use a secure online password manager.
  • Avoid public WiFi for activities that involve sensitive information such as banking details. There’s no way of knowing how secure these connections are.
  • Download a VPN from a reputable supplier. This will encrypt all your online activity and protect you from hackers. VPNs hide your IP address/location by routing data through a third-party server.
  • Download or purchase antivirus software or browser add-ons that block trackers.
  • Log out of accounts when you are finished. Yes, it’s inconvenient to log in each time, but not nearly as inconvenient as a cyberattack.

Adopting these basic measures will offer protection as you move around online. It’ll also make it much harder for cybercriminals to track your movements and obtain your data.

#2. Be careful about what you share online

Social media encourages and relies on the sharing of information and images. The challenge is ensuring your content is only seen by those you want to see it, and that you retain control.

That’s not so easy in 2022 as we increasingly live our lives online and interact in new ways through new technology. Sharing cute pics of our kids on Instagram, posting reels that are filmed in our house, and so on. The guideline is, “Share as little as possible”. You can still have fun, but…

  • Don’t include unnecessary personal information such as your address, phone number, email address, or full date of birth. This includes online CVs on LinkedIn and the like.
  • Take time to set up privacy settings on social media accounts so you know who you are sharing data with. On some platforms, like Twitter, set up two profiles (private and public with different share settings) or an anonymous profile.
  • Avoid sending any explicit content through non-secure channels. Signal and WhatsApp are considered safer than most as they use encryption.
  • Don’t share images that include anything that identifies you (your face or distinctive tattoos, beauty marks, or body piercing), including anything in the background.
  • Ensure messages and images aren’t shared with third parties and that cloud sharing and syncing are off.
  • Don’t geotag your exact location when you are still there. Rather do so after you have left or select a more general tag such as a town rather than a restaurant. Avoid stating somewhere is a “favourite” or “regular” destination!

These measures will reduce your vulnerability as a woman to trolling, harassment, doxing, stalking, and revenge porn.

#3. Block and report abusive users

It’s amazing how few women do this despite the rise in online abuse that reached new levels in 2022, with no signs of diminishing.

Here’s what you need to do if you’ve been bothered by an abusive user:

  • If the site or app, block the user that is making your life unpleasant and report them. Some sites allow you to place users on a restricted list so they see limited content which may be enough to satisfy them and not lead to confrontation.
  • Report any fake accounts you identify. Imposters ‘friend’ others and then post lies or other harmful content about them using the information and images they were able to access. For Twitter, you could download Block Together which auto-blocks suspicious users/followers.
  • If you find the level of harassment and threat severe enough, go to the authorities and report it officially. Think of the adage: “Better safe than sorry!”

According to a 2021 study, a shocking 75% of women don’t report online abuse. That is a trend that must be broken.

#4. Prevent Doxing

Doxing is when someone’s personal information is taken and published online without permission and with malicious intent. It can have serious personal and professional consequences.

This is perhaps the most extreme form of invasion of privacy and online abuse that is also seeing an increase. It is clearly a growing concern in 2022 when online platforms and apps still don’t take threats against women and young girls seriously.

The best way to prevent this is to place as little personal information out there as possible. The problem is you may not be aware of how much is already online. 

The best way to find out how much of your personal info is to Google yourself and do the following actions:

  • Change and delete what you can.
  • Check privacy and security settings.
  • Approach third parties to remove your information.
  • Subscribe to a service that will remove you from data broker sites.
  • Ensure your account(s) haven’t been hacked by checking your password still works and there’s no unfamiliar activity or apps you didn’t install.

Hacking and doxing often go together. Taking general online security steps, combined with the above, should help protect you from this form of attack.

#5. Screen other users

It can be tempting to add new LinkedIn connections, Facebook friends, or Instagram followers. However, you could be letting a malicious individual, bot, hacker, or fake account gain access to you and your account.

If you don’t know someone, share friends or contacts, or they are not in the same industry as you, don’t accept their request without checking on them. 

View their profiles and look for anything suspicious such as a recently opened account or profile, very little information about themselves, no or few friends or contacts, etc.

#6. Guard against catfishing and romance scams

We all want to look good when trying to impress a new romantic interest. However, nowadays dating sites and social media are rich hunting grounds for scammers.

Here’s how you can fall victim to a romance scam:

  1. Some scammers practice catfishing. Catfishing is when someone assumes an identity that is not theirs by using fake profiles and images that have been modified or stolen. One way to identify a catfish is to search for them online and compare the details and photos they supply on each platform or site they appear on. Look for inconsistencies! You can also do a reverse-image Google search when you search using a person's image. 
  2. Others, use your personal information for malicious purposes. Remember not to share personal information or photos – intimate or otherwise – with anyone until you are sure they are legitimate. And trust your instinct: if it feels ‘off’, back away, and block the person if necessary.
  3. Lastly, scammers practice so-called romance and companion scams. Unfortunately, women are especially at risk of falling victim to it. The incidence in 2021 was five times higher than in the preceding year and is expected to increase further in 2022. The online predators create fake profiles and go to great lengths to gain a victim’s trust and affection before asking for money or banking details because they have an emergency or want to invest in something.

Dating online is popular and can be an ideal way to meet someone new. Using these tips can help to reduce the risk of finding the wrong person!

#7. Prevent Revenge Porn

Sexting has become very common and is now a standard method of flirting and adding excitement to a relationship. A study found that 88% of adults have sexted at least once. However, it can go badly wrong.

Revenge porn refers to the intentional and unauthorized release of explicit images online, often by an ex who is angry or hurt and vengeful. This can destroy relationships, careers, and reputations. 

The psychological consequences may include lowered self-esteem, difficulty trusting others or interacting with them, and depression.

Be careful who you decide to exchange private pictures with.

Final thoughts

Technology and the internet are certainly here to stay for good… and bad. The fact that there are threats and risks should not lead you to disconnect or scale your online life back to your detriment.

What it does mean is that you should use the tools available, and the tips and guidance provided to reduce the chances of becoming a victim of a hacker or predator. 

Cyber-attacks that target data, identities, and assets are experienced by both genders. However, grooming, hate speech, scams, online stalking, harassment, trolling, and revenge porn are experienced far more often by women, and the effects leave women and girls feeling vulnerable online.