Safer Online
16,300 years
Estimated time that people around the world lost in 2013 repairing online damage to their personal reputations
1.4 Billion USD
Estimated worldwide financial losses in 2013 to repair the online damage to personal reputations
4.5 billion USD
Estimated dollars lost worldwide because of damage to professional reputation
Tip
Take charge of your online reputation: Discover what's on the Internet about you, periodically reevaluate what you find, and cultivate an accurate, positive reputation.
Tip
- Be selective about where and when you use hashtags to avoid oversharing your location.
- Keep sensitive details to yourself that could be used to defraud, impersonate, or find you—home address, phone and account numbers, birth date, photos.
Less than 20%
of respondents take active steps to edit or remove online information that might impact their reputation.
Tip
Respectfully ask those who have posted unflattering information about you to correct or remove it.
Tip
Before you post any pictures, videos, or comments online, ask yourself: Could this tarnish my reputation? (Think before you post, it will be there a long, long time.)
Tip
Be mindful about what you post online about your kids–of any age. You might be putting them at risk by revealing their current location, age, school, etc.
"Do not socialize too much on internet."
Nandini S
"Stop neglecting my "online rep" and build some personal branding in a professional sense."
Steffy Meia D
"I will review my privacy settings on social sites."
Owen B
"i will use SSL whenever i put my personal information"
yurika M
"I use the built-in features of Windows 8.1 to keep my kids safe online. I receive a weekly email report letting me know WHERE they have been and I can regulate WHERE they can go."
Steph R
"I will scan my PC using antivirus software on a regular basis, make use of "Clean Disk" and "Clear Browsing History" features, use "https" sites whenever possible, and create "strong" passwords, among other strategies."
Donald B
"I will continue to educate my users on safe computing practices whether at work or at home, mobile or desktop."
Beth C
"Help my family learn more about things to prevent phishing attacks."
Nam N
"Do not have the same password for all your online accounts."
Kalyan B
"I will not give money to Nigerian princes."
Alec
"My promise to help create a better internet is teach the younger generation about being safe on social media websites."
Shereen A
"I will not use passwords on public computers"
Arnold J
"I will only use sites that are HTTPS for any payment information."
Sandra R
"I promise not to do financial transactions over unsecured wifi."
chuck
"Confirm that I'm using https sites when conducting any sensitive online transactions."
Angel Y
"Use secure passwords"
Mudit A
"use an stronger password"
german m
"Creating new and different passwords for all of my accounts!"
Amy S
"change psswords"
tracy
"not provide personal photos online"
terry M
"hide my books, pictures, and interests on facebook"
tiffany d
"not give out my debit card number"
ellen t
"Assume I'm talking to my boss when I argue with people online."
lucas
"Update my passwords"
Marc
"I will remain cautious about using apps from third parties which ask for all my credentials."
Bryan W
"Put special characters in all my passwords!"
Pete C
"change password more often"
craig L
"I 'll be safer online"
Zeeshan S
"Treat Public Wi-Fi as a security risk."
John S
"I will help those who are being cyberbullied and report it when I see it."
Sabrina S
"Tell my friends not to download "THAT..." :-)"
Steve J
"I will use different (secure) passwords for each secure site that I visit, and change them every 70 days."
Steve B
"I promise to use strong password for my account"
debbie
"I will update my privacy settings on social network platforms."
Michael A
"I will tell my kids to change their passwords every month."
Carlene H
"Keep SW fully updated"
Ryna K
"I will continue to help businesses and individuals lock their computers and networks as well as continually promote Patch Tuesday."
Andy D
"I will delete my cookies"
Doug B
"browse known sites only"
Mulugeta K
"I will delay my social media posts, especially when using #s!"
Ashely W
"make password stronger"
beatris m
"Check my internet privacy settings"
Kevin
"Create strong passwords and keep them private. Don't forget to change your password after a while"
XUN L
"Allways Internet security ON !"
Raivo T
"If I must use an unsecured wifi network I will use a personal VPN to secure my traffic."
Darren D
"Install Anti-Virus on your machine and make sure it's updated."
Safwan H
"make sure laptop is always locked on go"
bhagavi b
"update password monthly"
lauren
"create even stronger passwords!"
mike w
"Make more secure passwords"
Edwin A
"Create stronger passwords, use password vaults to store and generate your strong passwords."
Michael J
"I will promote the use of stronger passwords among family and friends, as well as better privacy and security settings."
Leonardo O
"Create strong passwords."
Sandra C
"run security essentials."
Harjit S
"don't write down your password"
dale c
"i'll treat all public wifi networks as a security risk."
Simon P
"Stronger passwords"
joshua
"have strong psswords"
sireesha
"strong password"
Vineet S
"User better passwords/phrases."
Quinton Z
"change my online password more often"
Justin N
"will notbdownload from unknown sites"
Lindsy F
"Not give out personal info on Facebook to people I don't know personally."
Deborah H
"Update my password more often"
Kathleen G
"not give my CC number to random people who ask"
Elise G
"I will ensure doing secure transactions in a restricted computer"
Arunkumar P
"Avoid sharing personal info on a public forum."
Ryan R
"I promise to be careful with how I share my information online."
Saul W
"I will not reuse passwords across different sites."
Ariel G
"I will change my password"
Sara E
"I promise to talk to my daughter about how to stay safer online!"
Charlynn D
"I will always tell friends when mailing to many people at the same time, to put mail addresses in bcc and not in the to-line. Spammers love loads of mail adresses."
Anette H
"I will never share personal information about others."
Jan Martin R
"I will not click on e-mails from sources I do not know and mark them as spam."
Diogo C
"I alert businesses that still have WiFi Protected Setup on their network. In December 2011 CERT issued Vulnerability Note VU#723755. Wi-Fi protected setup is susceptible to attack because of a basic design flaw. Disable this feature in your WiFi"
Bruce H
"Make sure we're always talking to our kids about safe and responsible use of the Internet."
Ian B
"Help kids understand the importance of reading and understanding EULAs on sites through Success in Education at http://rtsutah.com"
Kevin M
"I will think about every word I type online before I type it."
Chris K
"I'll never open attachments in emails from people I don't recognize!"
Susan G
"I turn off the location feature in my social networking accounts"
Marissa M
"I will always update my security and microsoft software"
Juergen B
"I promise to change my password every 1-2 months to keep my accounts secure!"
Laura K
"I will not make any financial transactions using a public Wi-Fi"
Bryan B
"I would be careful before posting personal information online"
Vikram
"I won't use public Wi-Fi to pay my bills online!"
Lisa J
"I'll think twice about sharing my location on social media."
Miranda S
Tip
Don’t post anything you’d only say to a close friend. Whether you’re happy, sad, angry, or have money worries, confiding broadly could increase your online risks of being bullied or targeted for scams.
"I will acknowledge and respect the value and worth of another person's perspectives."
Sheileagh L
"Use stronger passwords and change them more often."
Jayne O
"I will Bing my name every few months to see what's out there."
Lauren B
"I will not use the same password at multiple sites, and will make them more secure."
Matt C
"Not clicking on suspicious links and telling friends if their accounts may have been compromised."
Justin J
"My promise is not to constantly check my phone, and pay attention."
Carrie B
"I'll keep my passwords more complex."
James M
"Review all my passwords and update them to make sure they are strong"
S s
"I promise to help the younger generation learn to be safe on social media websites"
Shereen A
"Change my password every 30 days"
Christopher N
"create stronger passwords for my accounts."
Emily J
"Teach my kids not to share personal information online!"
Timothy
"Don't write your location on social networking sites"
carisa w
"Use two-factor auth"
James L
"changing password every month"
josh b
"today I will share that its safer internet day!! aseaout of my secureseattle websites as soon as I finish!!!"
david t
"create stronger passwords"
anne g
"create stronger passwords"
wendy j
"Keep an eye on the address bar when entering secure information and ensure that it is https"
Anisha P
"Pick less obvious secret questions and answers"
Tracey F
"Help my friends understand the importance of understanding where links they click on come from!"
Paul S
"Make sure you install security updates all the time."
Izik
"Only put credit card information on trusted websites that use https"
Gilad
"don't share personal information on unofficial websites thinking they are official."
pete c
"I will make sure my mother in law doesn't post her credit card online / via email"
vv
"change password"
li s
"run my antivirus today"
yufei q
"create stronger passwords"
gilmere v
"I will protect company data and financial assets"
kris s
"create strong password and not share it with anyone or write on a post it"
sucharita G
"I promise not to use the same password for the same service"
sanjay n
"Use different passwords and emails"
kyle k
"browse imgur and not care"
Casey J
"I promise to continue educating others about the awesome online safety guidance Microsoft provides!"
Tiffany T
"create stronger password"
William L
"check my privacy settings"
Charles S
"I keep a change-all-my-passwords anniversary, and I'm up on the deadline! Time to come up with a new, complicated password string."
Jenn Y
"change my password"
Peggy K
"I will set up parental controls for my daughters accounts"
Michael K
"Create safer passwords and local profiles to prevent people FROM accessing sensitive data on my laptop"
Nicholas F
"More secure password"
Sarah V
"I will not download potentially malicious software onto my work computer. Or my home computer. Bam!"
Sunday
"I will not check my social networks on unsecured WiFi today,"
Serdar T
"I'll convince my mother in law to change her password."
antoni
"stronger passwords seattle"
happy
"Will frequently change password."
Loni R
"I will not have the same password for 10 years on my personal accounts"
cindy J
"never share personal info"
cristina c
"DONT GO TO QUETIONABLE SITES"
JOYCE W
"I'll save my financial information for a secure connection on the internet!"
Jianbo H
"Update my passwords on my email accounts!"
Stefan W
"Im going to change my passwords. yay!"
steve
"Choose stronger passwords"
Karen
"don't keep the same password for everything"
sahil s
"Change my passwords more frequently and encourage my children to do the same."
Annette H
"Use 1password for using 1use passwords and always contact my privacy manager."
mike
"Helping 11 Year Old Boy Scouts earn their "cyber chip" award and learn how to stay safe online!"
Scouter
"Ensure that my passwords are stronger"
Sally S
"change my passwords more often."
steve d
"I will change my passwords more frequently and make sure online purchases are only made through sites with https"
Tamara T
"I will follow the security guidelines"
kevin l
"no one knows my password"
Bil A
"I promise to change my passwords every 90 days"
Emily H
"don't download unknown programs"
kris H
"Using stronger passwords everywhere"
Adam P
"Make sure I have good passwords."
Eric B
"I promise not to give out my credit card number to stranger online"
Jeremy P
"Not open spam"
Craig B
"As The Privacy Guru, I demystify complex privacy issues and empower consumers to make mindful choices online. Cultivate your privacy awareness and develop a privacy practice today! www.theprivacyguru.com"
Alexandra R
"Teaching kids to use strong passwords."
Don E
"Change my password more frequently!"
Ashley W
"I pledge not to post nor promote any kind of anti social activity on any social networking websites."
Sandeep R
"I will change my password regularly!"
Ashley W
"I won't tell my "friends" when I'm going away on vacation on Facebook."
Amy O
"I will continue to have important conversation with students"
Katie G
"I'm going to diversify and strengthen my passwords."
Raanah A
"I will only enter my transaction information on websites that feature https."
Chris S
"I'll use two-factor authentication wherever I can."
Jon
"I will use alphanumeric password and will also change it every month. I will not do any transaction over public wireless network. Thanks to Microsoft for giving us such a wonderful tips which we were not aware off."
Diptarka S
"Use a password manager to prevent the usage of the same password on multiple websites"
Pratyush N
"Think positive and share positive"
Anish
"Delete the posts on social media that may hurt my reputation and change the passwords frequently"
Gopal G
"I will change my passwords more frequently."
Valerie M
"Make my password stronger"
Bonnie K
"I'll change my passwords more frequently."
Marie H
"I'm going to turn on automatic updates for my Windows machine."
James T
31%
The percentage of those surveyed who take the time to get the latest info for protecting their reputations online.
Tip
Pay attention to what’s online about you. Cultivate an accurate, positive reputation.
"I'm not really sure, first I need to analyze what's wrong then correct it."
Raj K
"I'll Bing myself on multiple search engines & continue to improve my LinkedIn profile"
Tiffany T
"My one thing is to learn more about parental controls and start using them."
Eve B
"I am going to lock my mobile device with a pin for here on out!"
Ryan P
"My idea is to be more conscious of giving personal data to untrusted sites!"
Christopher Mendoza Knapp K
"Stop clicking links I don't recognize."
Bob B
"Use two factor authorization WHERE it's available"
Kshitij M
"I promise to only use sites with https: when I shop online."
Kim P
"Help the younger generation learn about how to be safe on social media"
shereen a
"Pin protect my financial apps."
Robin L
"Stay safe, use Microsoft powered devices only!!! Great company, great products!!!"
Jean J
"I will try to make my passwords as strong as practical and change them frequently."
Chaldran K
"Check personal emails for spam and spyware."
David Y
"create more secure passwords"
angie v
"control parental settings for my kids on what they are exposed to online on a daily bases."
Amber M
"I have started to create unique strong passwords for every site and service I use"
Louis K
"I'll use the incognito/private browsing when in a public computer"
N G
"creating better passwords and changing them regularly."
john c
"I will download another virus scanner!"
Albert
"never include many Email addresses on the TO: line - use the BCC: instead"
Neal F
"I am applying two step authentication to my email accounts."
Kevin Y
"reset my password to have 8 characters with special characters, cap letters , numbers. renew my password every 60 days."
martial n
"I promise to do encourage in-private browsing to assure confidential/personal sites and information is kpt safe and sound!"
Rod P
"Update Windows each month when notified...check for updates regularly in between."
Greg C
"Don't click links from people you don't know"
Jesse G
"I will change my passwords as often as I can!"
Ana M
"I will not share my personal information with strangers."
Khaled S
"Will be more secure with transactions online"
Mihir S
"Turn off JavaScript!"
David L
"I won't bully anyone"
Madina W
"Keep strong passwords and keep them private."
Tharaka D
"Use secure passwords at home."
Ruth V
"I will use strong passwords on all sites."
Robert R
"I will regularly change my strong passwords."
August R
"protect company data"
farhan
"Don't fall for phishing! Never provide details through a soliciting email."
Angela L
"Improving and validating online information on parenting, and providing workshops to professionals"
Christa N
"always keep antivirus running"
Vivek V
"I will use different passwords for different sites"
malia g
"Use Bitlocker encryption"
Michael Y
"Dissuade torrenting pirated movies/software. Upgrade parent's computers."
abishek
"I promise to use different passwords across all my different profiles."
Chris G
"I will change my password on my bill payment and other accounts because I have been using the same password for all of these accounts. I should use a different password on each account."
Tracy C
"strong passwords"
ray c
"switch out passwords consistently"
lynn
"won't give out confidential information"
sanjeev m
"I won't give out my password or put it in public places WHERE it can be easily found."
Christy A
"change my password"
Neeraj
"I will make sure my posts are not offending other people"
Niel
"I will change my email account password every 3 months to keep my email account safe."
Harold S
"use secure passwords and update regularly"
lauren
"Create strong passwords on all my accounts"
Jeremy L
"stronger password"
Stacy b
"change my password"
tanya p
"I will continue to empower tween and teen girls to be Confident, putting an end to cyberbullying. Encouraging girls to use SM in a positive way will reduce the existence of hate. Those \"Mean Girls\" dont have a chance! #GirlsAboveSociety"
Lauren G
"To be aware of pop ups and ads. To never go to them."
rana d
"I will defend my computer and strengthen my computer defenses"
Jennifer L
"read all the tips for internet security todsy"
Alan L
"not put secure data on public shares"
chris m
"I promise I will change my internet email passwords more often."
Guy B
"I will store my bank and other important information in secure."
suresh p
"I entered 2 step verification for my email!"
peter
"Make sure all my computers have antivirus software installed."
Anibal S
"Wont give out my social security number"
Hari M
"use https"
Chris P
"Change password every 72 days"
Erika R
"change password"
Suchon T
"I am using Google vault for more safety of my crucially private data."
Anurag
"I will not clink on email links to banks, I will type the web address into my browser myself."
Ken M
"Today I will tell all my friends to talk to their kids about online safety."
Marylou B
"Create strong passwords and change them frequently."
Danielle A
"I will use more difficult passwords."
Valerie T
"I will use unique complex passwords for each account or web site I use, and then change them at least once every 6 months"
Greg L
"I will not open links emailed from people I don't know!"
Becky W
"Use two factor authentication as much as possible."
Drew M
"I will not check my social media accounts on public and unsecured WiFi networks"
Joyce C
"Report fraudulent activity to relevant authorities- help stop the scams from spreading."
P R
"Always make sure I'm shopping on secure websites."
Daniel B
"Check for imposter websites by verifying again the website address and any other suspicious content in the web"
Seow H
"I will not allow the computer help me store my code of online"
Wei I
"Always share your Photos and Personal Data in Social Network only with within your circle."
Gaurav P
"I never check my email on my laptop when I'm in a coffee shop because I don't know who might be "listening in.""
Charlotte B
"I will keep my computer settings private and never share over a network!"
Sara H
"#NWCAVE will #take25 everyday by posting tips to be safer online! @nwcave @itake25"
Michelle B
"I promise to talk to my kids about what they post online and who they are friends with on social networks."
Michael M
Statistical data provided by the 2013 Microsoft Computing Safety Index.
