How To Stay Safe While Chatting Online?

Chatting online should be a fun activity, whether you're WhatsApping with friends or discussing politics with complete strangers. But as anyone who has used online chatrooms will agree, they aren't always pleasant, and they aren't always a safe place to be.

This blog will look at how users can stay safe when they use online chat services, from Chatiw's SMS-based platform to Discord's voice and web-based gaming forums. We'll look at security tools to prevent nasty malware infections, as well as more general ways to interact with people online securely.

 

Is chatting online such a risky activity?

Before we talk about ways to chat safely, it probably helps to quickly discuss why we are so concerned. There are a few security issues that constantly arise when using chatrooms, and not everyone is well informed about them.

1. Cyberbullying - Many of the people who use online chat forums are in their teens, and these users are often at risk from cyberbullying (or worse, online stalking). So part of the security question is ensuring that people know how to avoid malicious users, and when to turn off chat before it becomes too dangerous.

2. Malware - Few chat users seem to know it, but accepting files from other users can be a great way to contract malware infections.

3. Phishing - Phishing involves tricking web users into handing over confidential information (usually payment details), and chat forums are a prime hunting ground for this sort of online crime.

4. Surveillance - The chatting apps and websites we interact with could also be tracking our words and who we talk to, using the data to build phishing or marketing profiles. And not everyone is comfortable with that.

5. Privacy concerns - The chat platform itself may not be the only one watching what we type. In some cases live chat can also be infiltrated by criminals, allowing them to see what users communicate to corporate support teams.

How to make sure your chats are as secure as possible?

All of these threats are manageable with the right tools, and maybe a little behaviour change as well. If you apply these tips, you should be able to discuss the games you love, or contact companies without worrying about someone looking over your shoulder.

1. Use a VPN to encrypt your communications

Firstly, you can drastically reduce the ability of criminals (and companies) to spy on what you type by using a Virtual Private Network. If you aren't familiar with what these tools do, our Avast VPN review should provide a good grounding.

Basically, VPNs apply encryption and IP anonymization to your online activity. This can make the content of your chatroom messages secure - at least until you press "send" and they are transmitted via chat platforms.

In any case, a good VPN will make it harder to detect whatever you write, and your online identity. As far as snoopers are concerned, this will make you virtually invisible - a huge benefit when avoiding online threats.

2. Be very careful about building an online profile

It doesn't matter whether you use our Avast VPN review and download a leading privacy tool if you then decide to tell the world everything about you in your chatroom profile.

Most chat services include the ability to add avatars and descriptions about ourselves, and this can include detailed information about our names, addresses, relations, interests, and even our education. All of this is a goldmine for phishers if they want to target us for scams.

In addition, teens who share too much information put themselves at greater risk of real-world repercussions (such as revenge attacks by gamers). So try to limit the information you post.

3. Choose a secure chat app for your socializing

Not all chat apps are as secure as they seem. Some are just conduits for ads or malware, while others are directly connected to marketing companies, and simply use the content of users' conversations to build valuable profiles.

But some are genuinely trustworthy and secure. For example, Telegram Messenger has a strong record in protecting its encryption keys from state interference, while WhatsApp offers end to end encryption.

Be careful with Facebook Messenger, though. Unlike WhatsApp, it only features encryption as an optional extra, and many users forget to engage it, leaving their chats exposed.

4. Chat to your kids about online threats

We all know that chatrooms can be unhealthy environments for younger people, and it's hard for parents to constantly police the sites used by kids. But what we can do is give children and teens the knowledge they need to minimize the risks they face.

Talking about the threats posed by strangers, the need to share as little as possible, and basic cybersecurity measures (like making sure the VPN is running before chatting) is essential.

But you can't be too hard with children. They naturally love to socialize, and that's a good thing. What's needed is a constructive environment where kids are happy to talk about the way they use the web and to bring up and questions they have about chatroom security.

5. Stay as safe as possible whenever you chat online

The internet is an incredible tool for communicating, but it's also a dangerous one. We've run through a few hazards and solutions for people who use online chat, or whose children do so.

There's no doubt that using VPNs, being careful about sharing, and choosing secure apps is important. But above all, we need to be sensible. The first step is to recognize that dangers exist and to take simple steps to neutralize them.

Sure, we can't always be 100% safe, and we definitely can't immunize ourselves against saying stupid things. But we can make chatting more fun and secure, that's for sure.