Happy National Women’s Day, South Africa!
The 9th of August is Women’s Day in South Africa. In 1956, over 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings against oppressive laws. Each year, we honour their legacy with the national holiday, and that should include the online world.
As women continue to increase their presence in the workforce, cybersecurity is a key part of empowerment. Unfortunately, the internet isn’t always safe, but with the right knowledge, you can protect yourself online. Let’s celebrate National Women’s Day by sharing practical, easy-to-follow cybersecurity tips every woman should know.
💻 1. Own your digital identity
Your personal information like email address, photos, contact details, and even your location is valuable. Cyber criminals can use this info for scams, identity theft, or worse.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Check your social media account settings to ensure it’s not fully public.
- Set your social media profiles to private where necessary.
- Don’t share your full birthday, your home address, or your location if not necessary.
🛡️ 2. Create strong passwords
Hackers love weak passwords – they are the easiest way to gain access to your account. So, improve your passwords to protect your accounts.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Use unique, strong passwords including characters, numbers, and special symbols.
- Consider using passphrases to make your passwords longer and harder to break.
- Consider using a password manager to store your new strong passwords safely (it can even generate the new passwords for you).
- Don’t reuse the same password on different sites.
🔒 3. Enable MFA
After you have created your new string password, add that extra layer of protection called multifactor authentication (MFA). MFA, or 2FA, creates an extra barrier to protect your account, even if someone managed to get your password.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Enable MFA on your email account, banking apps, and social media apps.
- Use an authenticator app instead of SMS – it’s safer and simpler.
📱 4. Watch out for scams
There are scams everywhere and scammers are constantly trying to trick you using fake job ads, incredible deals, or once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Don’t fall for it – they just want your money or personal data.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Remember, if it seems too good to be true… it’s more than likely a scam.
- Keep your personal details safe, don’t share it with anyone unnecessarily.
- If you’re unsure, search Google to check if the company or website if legitimate.
🧠 5. Trust your gut!
You know when you get the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something just doesn’t feel right? That’s your gut trying to help you and it’s usually spot on – don’t ignore it.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Don’t click on dodgy links.
- If someone is asking you for payments or personal information – report them immediately.
- Ask someone you trust for a second opinion before you do anything.
🧘🏽♀️ 6. Remember cyber wellness
Cybersecurity threats can affect your devices and your wellbeing. The continuous spam emails, fear of falling for a scam, and toxic content can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Reduce your screen time.
- Limit what you see when you’re online – block any content that adds to your stress.
- Talk to a friend or family member if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Your personal wellness is important. For additional tips and guidance on improving your wellbeing, read this really great book called Reclaiming You: A Comprehensive Guide to Self-Care and Empowerment: Take Care of Yourself – For Yourself by Jenny Erin Bell. It provides great tips on how you can prioritize caring for yourself to become the best version of you.
👩🏽💻 7. Support & share with other women
Empowerment is contagious. Once you understand how to protect yourself online, share your knowledge with your Mom, your sister, your aunt, your best friend – anyone you think needs to be safe online too. When one woman learns to protect herself online, she can help others do the same.
Cybersecurity quick tips:
- Share this article with your sisters, mothers, daughters, friends, and colleagues.
- Help the amazing women all around the world to improve their online safety.
🌸 Online safety = empowerment
National Women’s Day reminds us that women’s safety online and offline is a right, not a privilege. By understanding the basics of cybersecurity, women can protect their identities, careers, finances, and peace of mind.
This Women’s Day, celebrate boldly and safely. Be secure!
