My Science School

The most common password

Do you know the most commonly used email password? 123456! Yes, this was found in 2009, when over 10,000 hotmail passwords were exposed online. Today, however, most websites have several rules to be followed when creating a password.

How many email accounts are there?

There are billions of people worldwide, but not everyone has access to the Internet and emails. So, can you guess how many email accounts are there worldwide? There are over 3.17 billion email accounts worldwide! That’s greater than the population of most countries in the world.

Spam alert!

Call them junk or spam, these malicious emails can be found aplenty in all email accounts. They constitute nearly 55% of all emails received. This explains why you get more spam mails than regular emails in a day.

A mail from space

The first email from space arrived in 1991. The crew if STS-43 Atlantis used AppleLink software on a Macintosh Portable to transmit the message.

Computer or mobile?

With the emergence of smartphones, emails, which were once read only on computers, began following people wherever they went. Today, over 66% of emails are read on mobile devices.

Simpson’s email account was hacked!

Homer Simpson, a famous animated character that features in the show The Simpsons, was caught in a soup when his email account was hacked. A Simpsons writer used to reply to messages in-character from the ID chunkylover53@aol.com. This was until the sheer volume of emails became too high to respond to, in 2009.

Who’s behind the spam?

If you get spam mails, it means it is generated somewhere. Did you know that the United States was once the highest spam generator in the world? It is in close contest with China, which is currently in number one spot. Following these two countries is Russia, at number three.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Most of us have multiple social media accounts these days. From Facebook to Instagram, social media has become a part and parcel of people’s lives. But it is also a source of cybercrime. From sensitive data being captured, to terrorists being hired, to pictures being morphed, social media has seen it all. Hence, it is necessary to be cautious when you post anything online. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you use social media.

Keep details personal

Most social media platforms need you to fill in basic details like Name, age, Email address and Phone number. While it is okay to furnish these details for opening your account, remember to never share it on your news feed or your wall. If anyone asks you for personal details, give it to them in a chat window, provided you know who the person is.

Do not defame anyone

Refrain from defaming someone online. Yes, someone might have offended you or hurt you, but voicing it out on social media is not always the right thing to do. Millions of people use social media, and tomorrow, your prospective employer may also go through your social media handles. In such a case, defaming someone could be held against you.

Have you done your check-in?

Yes, we all travel or go out to restaurants to eat. But we don’t need to tell the world where we are at all times. Sometimes, people can keep a track of your profile – the places you visit, with whom, why – and use it against you. So, avoid checking-in everything.

Keep privacy settings at maximum

All social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp and Instagram let you set the privacy settings of your profile to protect your information. Use this and ensure you safeguard all that you post by allowing only your friends’ circle to access the information you post.

Do not post personal pictures

While it is okay to share pictures on social media, avoid sharing personal pictures, or turn on the privacy settings to allow only people you know to access your pictures. There are several cases of images being morphed and used for illegal purposes. So, think before you post a picture online.

Don’t start conversations with strangers

Social media is a thriving ground for cyber criminals. When we join a social media platform, it is normal for us to get friend requests from different people, we may or may not know. However, avoid adding strangers as much as possible since you cannot establish their authenticity or profile. If you do add, remember to never share your personal details with them.

When in doubt, report abuse

If a social media account is posting things that are harassing someone, or posting something illegal, report abuse immediately. Even if you don’t have the proof, you can still report the profile if you feel something doesn’t seem right. You may end up saving yourself or someone else from a crime.

 

Picture Credit : Google