The internet is so wide (across the
globe) at the same time narrow because of people’s ability to get specific
information under few seconds.
It is wide in the sense that any
information put on it from one end of the world can be seen in another end of
the world – immediately, as it is uploaded; narrow in the sense that through
key words, you will be able to get any information from it within a twinkle of
an eye.
A practical explanation is when you
engage in online business transaction. You can order any product(s) from England
while in Nigeria; pay your bills from the comfort of home; and receive the
product(s) under agreed number of days without boarding a plane. Such is how
fast the internet is.
The
internet exposes you to great prospects and risks
As an internet user, you need to
know how to conduct yourself in a manner that will keep you from impersonation;
learn how to transact online businesses to protect your bank details from
getting into wrong hands – capable of syphoning your money; be conscious to
avoid being duped; and be careful to avoid your personality from being used to
defraud people or being used as a channel for displaying illicit contents.
We want to inform you that as much
as the risks of internet are enormous, so also are its prospects.
If you want to develop contacts, use
the internet. If you want to create awareness for your business, use the
internet. If you want to take your projects outside the shores of your country
without necessarily leaving your home, use the internet: it will be safe for
you when you know how to keep yourself safe from the risks associated with it.
Various
means to protect your identity
·Avoid
checking links from spam messages directly from your email address. You can copy
the link and paste it into a new browser in order for you to know where the
link leads.
·Avoid
releasing details about you to people who mount pressure on you to get
information without cognate reasons, and try to verify claims before releasing
information to some others.
·Always
read and understand, as well as, obey the instructions of your bank and other organisations
(whose services you use) regarding how to keep your identity safe.
·Avoid
responding to or clicking the links of meaningless and illicit messages,
especially on social media: some may include your name in the message sent to
you and saying ‘what are you doing in
this video? I can’t believe it’. Never mind, they only want to steal your
details.
·Delete
every suspicious message from your account.
·Avoid
intentionally clicking on links that contain illicit materials – asking you to
click to see details. If you do, mostly, you may have the content published on
your wall without knowing it. Your contacts are the ones that will be seeing it
and your reputation will be on the brink of destruction.
·Set
the ‘tagging’ of your account, especially the social media, to ‘review tags before they appear on your
wall’. Doing this will keep illicit contents away from appearing on your
wall, but you must also check any contents which you are tagged with before you
approve them.
Why
your identity may be stolen
From Google Search
There is portion of the Bible that says, ‘a curse causeless shall not stand’, which means that any evil
invocation on a person that does no wrong will not come to pass. To this end,
we will like to inform you that if you do not fall victim to hackers, impostors
or clones – your information will remain intact.
Specific reasons why people fall
prey of these internet devils are, among others:
·Greediness: many times, you will receive
messages from people that claim to be loners – having a huge sum of money lying
in the bank to which they need you to withdraw after which you will be given
your shares. At the long run, your details will be required to complete some
processes: if you release the details asked for, you will be duped at the end and
your identity will be used to commit crime which will get state security on
your trails.
·Lust of the flesh and of the eyes:“When
tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be
tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his
own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
to death”.James 1:13-15, NIV.
This applies to when you receive illicit materials in your account and you
cannot turn your minds off it but decide to click the link: it will land you
into that content being published on your wall.
However, in spite of the challenges
of the internet, you cannot afford to shy away from its usage as a business
man, a pastor, a teacher, a father or mother, a student or a professional – if
you want to be relevant in your generation.
The best thing you will do for
yourself (on the internet) is to use it for your personal development, and to
advance your strategy of achieving success in life.
