The best thing you can practice on the internet is general common sense. But here are a few guidelines to help you out.
Be careful sharing information online
In our world, you don't always know who to trust. There are a lot of malicious people who can cause harm. This is why it's very important to be careful with who you share your information, both online and offline. Avoid giving out personal information like name, adress, contact information, etc. You don't know what someone will do with the information you give them and remember, usually if you send something online, there's a good chance that you will never be able to take back what you posted. Even if you delete your messages, people can take screenshots.
There also exists a phenomenon called doxxing, where a user's personal information (which can include their real name, address, or even credit card number. This can cause harm for the person who's information was revealed (or in this case, the person being "doxxed"). Remember that behind the screen, it may not be who you think it is. After all, people can hide who they are and seem like they aren't trying to be malicious when in reality, that is their intent. But then again, do you know anyone's true intentions, whether online or offline?
Be careful with what websites you visit
Not all websites are safe to visit, nor are all websites safe to download from. This is why it is important to practice caution. Here are some signs for a suspicious website.
- A lot of pop-outs and ads.
- A strange and/or unusual domain or link.
- Your browser blocks you from visiting it.