“Sometimes there is a need to have an extra level of protection by using a virtual private network (VPN)”
It is crucial to make sure that the information we share is safe and the information we consume is credible. So the first thing that one needs to do is to enable two-factor authentication.
Before one logs in to a service, one must put in a secondary code from a different place. It could be, for example, a text message or a link sent to an email address.
Any time one tries to log in; one has to put in this code. If the username and password are compromised, there is no need to worry about unauthorized access. An authenticator app that can be installed on smart devices generates specific codes for these specific platforms.
It is tough to remember all passwords, so there are services and apps like One Password and Last Pass, which lets one store passwords on them. The primary password is all one has to remember.
Make sure to use websites that have HTTPS in the address. The S means that this website is secure and that the information is encrypted. Sometimes there is a need to have an extra level of protection by using a virtual private network (VPN). The VPNs also encrypt and anonymize information before being shared or being sent to the intended target.
Eric Mugendi is the program manager for East Africa at Meedan, a software development startup that builds tools for journalists and civil society organizations. In this position, he works with organizations and individuals that hold governments to account and fight the spread of false information both online and offline. Eric has a background in environmental studies, and experience in journalism and fact-checking, having most recently been the managing editor of PesaCheck, East Africa’s first fact-checking initiative.