TV host Bianca Gonzalez is well aware that in the era of online communication, one is prone to many threats and dangers when it comes to cybersecurity.

Gonzalez unselfishly shared five tips to avoid online theft in her latest YouTube vlog yesterday, Nov. 16.

“We go online to work, to study, to connect with our loved ones, to entertain ourselves, pero whether we realize it or not, madami talagang (but whether we realize it or not, there are many) threats and dangers on the internet. Siyempre nandiyan ang (Of course, there’s) hacking, identity theft, online credit card fraud, data breach at kung anu-ano pa (and many more),” she said in the introduction.

Before giving out the tips, Gonzalez spoke about RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.

“Karapatan natin (It is our right) to have our personal information protected and our data privacy respected especially by organizations or individuals na nagko-collect or nagi-store or nagpa-process ng ating data (who collect, store or process our data),” she explained.

Gonzalez articulated one’s rights like the right to be informed, the right to access, the right to object and the right to data portability.

After that, the TV host shared tips to ensure a safer presence on the internet.

One is to create a strong password. She cited 123456 or ABCDEF as weak passwords. To create a password that is easy to remember, she advised to make a sentence first like this one: “Una akong tumira sa 412 Gumamela Street. 2,000 per month ang rent”.

“So ganito ang magiging hitsura ng password mo, Uats412GS.2kpmar,” she said. (This is the result: Uats412GS.2kpmar.)

With that password, it will take 2 trillion years for it to be learned by hackers, she said.

Tip no. 2 is to never use the same password on multiple accounts.

“Pero what if kunyari may hacker na nagkaroon ng access sa iyong username at password sa isang account mo o sa isang website, may chance din na gagamitin iyan sa iba’t iba pang website or services or social media accounts,” she explained.

(But what if there is a hacker who got access to your username and password in one of your accounts or on one website? There is a chance that it will be used on other websites or services or social media accounts.)

Number three is to refrain from logging into personal accounts on free public WiFi as it exposes you to hackers who are just waiting to have unauthorized access to your personal information. She advises to avoid using personal bank accounts and going online shopping while using free public WiFi.

Gonzalez’s fourth tip is to be wary of fake emails, sites and social media accounts.

She discussed phishing, which is an online scam where cyber criminals disguise themselves as legit organizations using e-mail, texts, ads or other ways just to steal sensitive information and personal information.

She noted that even if an email has a company logo and looks legit, if it is asking for personal information, one has to always make sure that the source is legit and you’re not dealing with fake personas.

The last one is to use two-factor authentication as it adds an extra layer of security to make sure that you are the only one who has access to your account.

Gonzalez explained that if someone is able to access your account by entering the password, a code will be sent to your email or by text first to prove that you own the account.

She quipped, “Mamili ka: magseset-up ka ba ng two-factor authentication or maghahabol ka ba ng iyong personal info or baka perang nanakaw sa iyo?”

(You chooose: Will you set up two-factor authentication or will you go after your [stolen] personal information or maybe money stolen from you?) NVG

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