SafieHacks & Teen Hacks: online safety for youngsters

Keeping your digital life safe is more important than ever. Here are five cybersecurity tips you can follow to protect yourself from online threats:

1. Protect your information and devices: keep your apps and operating systems up to date, only download apps from official app stores and, if you shop online, always check that offers are genuine and that the website you are browsing is official and secure.
2. Be careful what you share online and in public: avoid sharing sensitive personal information. Control who can see your social media posts by adjusting your privacy settings, and be careful about what you post. Also, be wary when accepting friend requests—not every profile belongs to a real person.
3. Think before you click or respond: things aren’t always what they seem. If you receive an unexpected call or message, notice something unusual about the sender, are asked for personal information or passwords, or are told to click a link or download an app, be wary and don’t follow the instructions.
4. Keep your passwords secure: avoid using common combinations such as your date of birth, ID number or 1234. Your passwords should be easy to remember but hard to crack. Where possible, use a combination of letters and numbers, including upper- and lower-case letters and special characters, to make your passwords stronger. Remember to enable two-factor authentication on your accounts, such as facial recognition and fingerprint authentication in our app.
5. If you’re suspicious, report it: cyberattacks can come from a variety of channels, such as emails, text messages and phone calls. If you receive a suspicious message that appears to be from Santander asking you to share information, make sure you report it to phishing@gruposantander.es.

If you want to become a #CyberCrack and put all your online security skills into practice, be sure to try our interactive adventure!