Posting from a restaurant or tagging your location while on vacation—it’s fun to keep friends and family updated on your activities and whereabouts. It might seem harmless, but sharing your location in real time can put you at risk, as it makes it easier for people with bad intentions to track your movements, know when you’re not home, or plan activities that could jeopardize your safety.

This was one of the pointers shared during the safety training programs for journalists organized by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC). While the digital security sessions in these capacity building programs were designed for media practitioners, the tips are helpful for anyone who wants to stay safe online.

Here are some of the tips from the safety training that can help mitigate potential risks and safeguard your digital presence:

1. Always keep devices with you.

Don’t leave your phone or laptop lying around in public or unattended, even for a few minutes. Once your device is out of your sight, it can be easily stolen or tampered with. This also increases the risk of personal information being accessed or misused by others.

2. Use strong, unique passwords, and change them regularly.

Create a strong, unique password for each online account and change them regularly. Safety training resource person Samantha Nicole David of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) recommends choosing “an obscure statement or quotation that will not be easily linked to you by others.”

3. Enable two-factor authentication in your online accounts.

Resource person Len Olea of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) emphasizes the importance of using two-factor authentication, which adds another layer of security for online accounts. Even if your password is compromised, a hacker will still need to go through a second verification process to access your account.

4. Watch out for phishing scams.

It can be tempting to join viral quizzes and photo challenges on social media, but be careful—these may be designed to trick you into sharing personal information such as passwords or credit card information.

Avoid clicking on links in text messages and email unless you can confirm the sender’s identity. Scammers can easily impersonate bank representatives and other trusted entities, so it’s best to verify before you click.

These are just some of the pieces of advice shared during the digital security sessions in the safety training for journalists.

Whether or not you are a journalist, being mindful of digital security is key to protecting both your personal and professional life.

Read about the past safety training programs of AIJC here:

• Community-based journalists join safety training of trainers in Cagayan de Oro City
• Community-based journalists in CAR join safety training of trainers
• AIJC safety and fact-checking training welcomes media practitioners from ZamBaSulTa
• 22 journalists covering BARMM join AIJC’s safety and fact-checking training in Davao