Analyze your online privacy and security practices and outline a plan for making yourself safer online. Try to explain your position in around 300 words. Or, you could read others' posts and comment on their analysis. You may or may not agree with them, but you need to explain your own reasons.
Speaking of my online security practices, I scrutinize every link and website entering my sight. Among all the Chinese-based browsers, Baidu is my most frequent choice. However, links of dubious websites often pop up as the first search results, camouflaging credible sources. Usually I would first observe the link via Baidu snapshot (“百度快照”), and escape from unknown sites as soon as possible. If things go unfortunate and I accidentally clicked at unsafe links, I would close the browser instantly to avoid the triggering of further practices. When I am really worried by a particular click, I would conduct a thorough virus detection with my anti-virus software. My passwords are unique but not frequently changed, however, and this is something I need to improve.
For the privacy part, I wouldn't submit any personal detail to most websites (except university websites and the "sign up" pages on social media platforms). If my account on a platform is followed by strangers, I pay much attention to every word and photo posted. There was a time when I took part in the popular hashtag "#studyaccount", posting my progress once a week / two weeks to boost productivity. All the photos on my personal page were carefully edited, especially the places concerning personal information, which were covered by mosaic. In my opinion, cyberspace differs from real life in that its anonymity serves as a hotbed for ill will. Only by keeping our privacy private will we filter out malevolence.
The Internet, with innumerable pages of information and efficient tools to conduct researches, has permeated the fabric of our everyday life. Yet the focus on its virtues obscures a larger story. As netizens, we must bear in mind its potential threats such as identity theft and virus attacks crouching under the harmonious surface. What is to be done, then? Just as online threats did not crop up overnight, so the route forward is by many small steps, beginning with our persistent endeavor in maintaining a healthy cyber environment.