Whether you’re a casual internet browser, a parent teaching your children how to use the computer, or an experienced website designer, we all share the fear of losing sensitive documents or personal information to a hacker.
Fortunately, there are many online safety precautions you can take that don’t require too much effort. Here are 10 tips to help you stay safe online.
This tip is number 1 for a reason! Password security is vitally important to staying safe online and protecting your data. Do you know how secure your current password is?
Creating strong passwords:
(Source: XKCD)
To stay safe online, it’s often recommended to have multiple lines of defense against attackers. Antivirus programs can be very useful to help identify and catch threats you don’t even see before they get a chance to infect your computer.
Lists of the best available antivirus softwares can be easily found online if you’re unsure which to choose, and doing some research to find the best one in your price range can be more than worth it.
Avoiding careless clicking is regarded as one of the easier ways to stay safe online. It’s advised that you be sure you know what will happen when you click any link online. Spam emails, “free” offers, and 419 scams (aka Nigerian Prince scams) commonly ask you to click dangerous links that ask for personal information.
If you want to double check a link, one easy step is to copy the link and run a search for it (make sure you don’t just paste it into your browser’s address bar though!)
Thanks to widespread anonymity online, you need to be sure who you’re talking to, before you share sensitive information like bank details, addresses, or passwords. Make sure sites you are sharing credit card information with are using an encrypted connection (HTTPS), and be sure you’re on the correct website.
In the unfortunate event your documents or information are compromised, it will be a lifesaver to have those files backed up and accessible. There are many services online that let you back up your data remotely, and it never hurts to have things backed up on an external hard drive as well.
Two-factor authentication will tie your accounts to your phone number or email address, giving you an extra security net and adding another layer of protection against hackers.
Login notifications alert you when your account has been logged into at a location different from where you usually log on, which will help you detect potential attacks right when they happen.
If you’re building or already own your own website, it is beneficial to have an SSL certificate. More than 50% of the web is now encrypted, so don’t be the one lagging behind!
If you’re browsing the web, and especially if you’re buying things or exchanging sensitive information, make sure the website you are accessing is using HTTPS. Some browsers show this as a little green lock in your address bar.
Keeping the software and scripts you’ve installed on your website up-to-date is key to keeping it protected and safe online. If you built your site with WordPress, don’t just disable plugins that you’re not using, uninstall or delete them altogether.
Remember to also back up your data before updating software so you are safe in case something goes wrong with the update.
If you’re a developer or built your own site from scratch, be sure that you used the correct file permissions and double check who has access to each file.
Credit card numbers, social security numbers, or any other highly valuable information, is vulnerable if stored in your database. It’s commonly recommended that you don’t store this information in your database.
No matter what level of computing skill you possess, there are threats online that could affect you or your website if the proper measures aren’t taken. Use these online safety tips as part of your protection strategy, and look to build on it as much as possible.
Once you’ve finished brushing up on ways to stay safe online, head to gen.xyz/giveaway and find out how you could submit your .xyz website to win 1 of 4 iPad Pros in our website building contest! Hurry though, entries close on July 31.
Another 3 months are in the books, and that means it’s time for a new edition of the XYZ Quarterly, the magazine that gives you an in-depth update on everything that’s happened for the XYZ registry.
In this edition of the XYZ Quarterly, you’ll get an update on the success our end users have had and see the huge impacts they’re having on their respective industries, get an overview of XYZ’s success by the numbers, take a closer look at our historic 4th birthday sale and other marketing initiatives, and hear about our wonderful registrar/reseller partners!
The XYZ team was at Anime Expo for the 2nd year in a row and the #XYZsquad, of course, came along to mix it up with the thousands of characters and anime enthusiasts also attending the event. After starting a few dance parties outside, the team went inside the expo to look at various shows’ booths and let the attendees know how they could win an iPad Pro in our website building contest.
Check out the full recap video below and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don’t miss XYZ’s next adventure!
JoyInc.xyz – 1&1 customer (Nigeria)
The #GenXYZ community is filled with inspiring individuals, businesses, and organizations that aim to make the world a more efficient, more connected, and overall better place. It comes as no surprise, though, that in many parts of the world people live in dire circumstances and deal with great stress and adversity every day. Our #WebsiteWednesday this week, JoyInc.xyz, has used this unfortunate reality as inspiration to make their home continent of Africa a more joyous place.
JoyInc.xyz is a business registered as a “benefit corporation” that leverages books, television shows, films, events, and more to support better education, develop healthier psychology, and generate impactful social movements in Africa. JoyInc.xyz’s business model is to first provide their own media and teaching products to schools in Africa, then partner with companies and provide their products or services in classrooms, and finally invest the profits from those partnerships into charities and educational institutions across Africa.
While many charitable organizations rely on a classic donation model to provide better opportunities for underprivileged communities, JoyInc.xyz believes a classic business model generates more overall good thanks to the higher profits obtained. JoyInc.xyz’s commitment to putting 100% of profits toward their charitable causes is the key that brings a greater benefit, and more joy, to the communities they are aiming to help.
JoyInc.xyz was founded by Chude Jideonwo, a Nigerian lawyer and Yale University graduate who was selected as one of 18 members of the African Leadership Institute’s 2018 TuTu Leadership program, and was also named to Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2013 as one of Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs.
Finding the inspiration to exact positive change in the world can come from anywhere. As JoyInc.xyz shows, that place can even be your backyard. Have you stopped to look at your surroundings and found something that you think could be made better? Then follow JoyInc.xyz’s example and get your idea online with your own .xyz domain to reach a massive audience and start bringing about that change.
XYZ is proud to share about the many incredible members that make up the XYZ community! We encourage you to do your own research before using the products and services of the websites we feature. The information about products and services contained in this blog post does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by XYZ.
After a month of exciting celebrations, our spectacular 4th birthday celebration came to an end on June 30th. We can’t thank the #GenXYZ community enough for your participation in our anniversary campaign sale, which helped us raise more than $10,000 to protect the future of the internet.
When we set out to find a perfect way to celebrate our 4th anniversary, we thought about what would mean the most not only to us here on the XYZ Team, but to all of you who have helped .xyz grow to become one of the most popular domains in the world in just 4 short years. We knew that it had to be something that would not only support your innovative ideas and allow you to continue to express them on your .xyz sites, but it also had to be something that was true to the mission we’ve had for .xyz since we pushed the button to launch it to the world.
That’s why we’re so proud of your participation in our anniversary sale. We wanted to have a sale that would give all of you in #GenXYZ 2 years to build your projects without worrying about renewals, and the donations you helped raise for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Tsinghua x-lab will shape the future of the internet in a positive way for years to come.
One of the greatest strengths of .xyz lies in the community of its adopters, and on this anniversary we are so glad we were able to celebrate together with you and work towards a gift that all of us can enjoy; a better internet today, and for every day to come. The work isn’t done, however, and if you want to keep supporting EFF you can do so at the XYZ donation page here.
The festivities aren’t completely over yet though! Our anniversary website building contest is still running until July 31st, when we will judge all the .xyz sites that have been entered and pick 4 lucky winners who will each receive an iPad Pro! The full details and rules are all available at www.gen.xyz/giveaway. If you haven’t entered your .xyz site into the contest yet, what are you waiting for?! Head to the contest page now and don’t miss your chance to win!
ID.xyz – Internet.bs customer (Australia)
Happy Independence Day to all of the American members of #GenXYZ! Today the U.S. is celebrating the day that a group of inventors, pragmatists, and dreamers united and declared independence from Britain, and who went on to found what has become one of the most powerful nations in history. So, what better way to celebrate than to look at an .xyz adopter who also decided to declare independence from traditional social media and founded a new company that is aiming to disrupt the way we use our favorite social apps: ID.xyz.
ID.xyz is an app that centralizes your offline and online identities under one ID, meaning you can access all your social media apps, phone numbers, emails, and more all in one convenient place. But that’s not all, as ID.xyz also has a messaging feature with media playback, and an “invisible data” service they call XYZ. The XYZ feature hides your data and content without deleting it, meaning you can access it when you want, but you can keep it under wraps when you don’t.
You can have unique usernames and profiles for all your social media apps, email, etc. on ID.xyz as well, so you can have a profile to connect with friends, another to connect with family, and another to connect with co-workers all in one easily accessible place, without the hassle of switching apps and changing logins.
Another unique feature of ID.xyz is the ‘AIR’ feature, which allows you to take multi-media from your device and drop it into your surroundings via Augmented Reality. You can select a video and put it on the street in front of you, and you’ll be able to see it play as if it were really there.
Freedom and independence are great motivators that many of the brightest minds throughout history have used to bring about radical change to society. ID.xyz is hoping to found something great that will transform how millions of people live their lives both online and offline, and their intrepid spirit is another example of #GenXYZ’s impact in shaping our future.
Want to get your hands on your own 2 letter .xyz domain? Check out the 2 letter .xyz’s still available now at https://gen.xyz/premiums. And don’t forget, you can still enter your .xyz site into our iPad Pro giveaway contest, where we’ll be grading all sites submitted to us until July 31st and naming 4 winners who will each get their own iPad Pro! For all the rules and details go to https://gen.xyz/giveaway.
XYZ is proud to share about the many incredible members that make up the XYZ community! We encourage you to do your own research before using the products and services of the websites we feature. The information about products and services contained in this blog post does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by XYZ.
If there’s one thing we know #GenXYZ loves, it’s video games! So the team from XYZ headed across town to the LA Convention Center for E3 2018. This is the first time E3 has been opened to the public, and the tens of thousands of gamers in attendance enjoyed getting down with the #XYZsquad in between playing demos of all the biggest upcoming game releases.
Check out the full video recap of our trip to E3 below!
EdgeArchitects.xyz – Network Solutions customer (Saudi Arabia)
Throughout our #WebsiteWednesday series we’ve highlighted #GenXYZ members from many industries who have embraced .xyz as their domain of choice. The design community, though, has developed a special attachment to .xyz. It has brought us some of our most inspiring users, like influential fashion designers PublicSpace.xyz and Goetze.xyz, prolific graphic designer SoaLee.xyz, and award winning design firm Vierkant.xyz, to name just a few. This week, we’re heading back into the world of design to look at an architecture firm that has received worldwide acclaim and an award from the World Architecture Festival; EdgeArchitects.xyz.
Since 2004, EdgeArch has been a leading international architecture practice that takes advantage of its global network of engineers, project managers, architects, and consultants to create beautiful and sustainable structures. EdgeArch has designed and engineered everything from major airports and hospitals to university buildings and diplomatic missions, and their work has risen to be recognized internationally, including garnering two nominations in the 2017 World Architecture Festival awards. EdgeArch won the category of “Future – Civic” for their design of the Saudi Consulate Building in Karachi, Pakistan.
In 2016, EdgeArch took the next step in bringing their brand to a global audience and announced the launch of their new home online, EdgeArchitects.xyz. The domain is a perfect fit for the firm; a world renowned and award winning architecture company deserves no less than the ability to brand on a memorable domain name using the world’s most popular new extension, .xyz.
EdgeArchitects.xyz are backed by experience, have proven their exceptional work time and time again, and are trusted with taking on the most important projects Saudi Arabia has to offer. With their .xyz domain they’re poised to not only continue thriving in their local market, but to expand their reach and influence and bring their genius to clients around the world.
XYZ is proud to share about the many incredible members that make up the XYZ community! We encourage you to do your own research before using the products and services of the websites we feature. The information about products and services contained in this blog post does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by XYZ.
Supernova.xyz – GoDaddy customer (Singapore)
Retail is one of the world’s oldest and largest industries, but with the dawn of e-commerce and the meteoric rise of social media use, retail is getting a big makeover in the 21st century. Want to know how to launch a retail brand that is positioned to harness these new technologies to take the market by storm? Then look no further than the work of this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, Supernova.xyz.
Supernova.xyz, founded by serial investor and entrepreneur Emily Hamilton, is a brand management company which has designed and launched 4 unique and highly successful retail products: fitness and nutrition program ‘bodyboss’, weight loss solution ‘SkinnyMint’, skin care system ‘Sand & Sky’, and hair nourishment lotion ‘Coco & Eve’. Supernova has pushed these brands to staggeringly impressive levels of social influence, including garnering a total of over 70 million views across their social media channels and amassing an audience of over 2 million women reached via social media per day. Even social media queen Kylie Jenner is a believer in Supernova.xyz’s products.
So, how does Supernova boost their direct-to-consumer brands to such high levels of social influence and commercial success? It’s all in their systematic approach, which maps out product development, branding and packaging, social media marketing, an e-commerce storefront, international shipping, and customer service to ensure the highest level of consumer satisfaction. This synchronization of product development and brand messaging gives each of Supernova.xyz’s products a relatable identity, paired with high product accessibility.
“The inspiration for Supernova.xyz was to combine innovative product development and social media marketing to create and build digitally native brands. We aim to grow our existing brand portfolio to expand the products on offer and the markets we reach. Plus we are incubating more brands to expand the brand portfolio to cover more beauty, fitness and health brands.
When it came time to build the Supernova.xyz website, we were inspired to use a .xyz domain when we saw Alphabet’s abc.xyz.”
– Emily Hamilton, Founder of Supernova.xyz
As members of Generations X, Y and Z, we live in a world with easy access to technology that is vitally connected by social media networks. This means that, with the right strategy, we have a truly unique opportunity to develop products we believe in and grow them into global brands. Supernova.xyz is a perfect example of how #GenXYZ is seizing this moment in history, and serves as proof to every young entrepreneur that their dreams of bringing their idea to millions can be a reality.
XYZ is proud to share about the many incredible members that make up the XYZ community! We encourage you to do your own research before using the products and services of the websites we feature. The information about products and services contained in this blog post does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by XYZ.
This Saturday is .xyz’s 4th birthday! We’re celebrating 4 years of supporting the next generation of internet users by giving them the freedom to get online with an affordable and memorable domain name, and the power to choose the domain that they want.
Our mission from Day 1 has been to reset the internet to give Generations X, Y, and Z a domain extension that’s made for them, and one that is dedicated to making the internet a better place for them. So, what we’d really like for our 4th birthday is a truly open and free internet for everyone.
That’s why during our 4th Anniversary campaign from today until June 30th:
We’ve pledged to donate a minimum of $10,000 during this campaign, but we’re confident that with your help we can make that number much, much higher. You can track the progress of our donation campaign on our gen.xyz homepage.
What we’ve accomplished with all of you in the #GenXYZ community of users and supporters these past 4 years has been everything we’d hoped and dreamed for when .xyz launched. But we’re just scratching the surface of what we can do, and with your help we’ll continue to shape the future of the internet for generations and make it the best it can be.
Are you ready to join us in protecting a free and open internet? Then renew your .xyz domain or register one for 2 years today!
*Sale prices available only at participating registrars. See the full list of participating registrars here.
