Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More. Being a freelance designer can give you the flexibility to create your own schedule, and you can increase your income compared to working a full-time job. You must think about how you’ll run your business, but that’s not the only important thing. Online security might not be top of your mind, but you should consider the potential threats you might encounter. And once you’ve identified those, taking action to stop them from happening is crucial. In this article, we’ll discuss seven security and privacy tips that can help you stay safe online as a graphic designer. You can also use this advice to protect your clients from potential threats. 1. Use Password Keychains Passwords are one of the oldest forms of online security, but how safe they are depends on numerous factors. Creating something easy to guess might help you quickly sign in to your accounts, but it also puts you at risk of hacks and other malicious acts. At the same time, making up hard-to-guess passwords—and trying to keep track of them—can get exhausting. If you own an Apple device, iCloud keychain is incredibly useful . You can ask Apple to make a strong password for each website you create an account on. After creating this, you can use Touch or Face ID to enter it and sign in to your account. Moreover, you can use the password on your other devices. Once you’ve made password keychains, you can access Settings/System Settings and select Passwords . You’ll need to verify your identity beforehand. 2. Be Careful When Receiving Messages Having clients come to you is the dream scenario for many freelancers. And if you stick with it for the long run, you’ll likely reach a point where that starts happening. People will contact you via email and LinkedIn, and most will be well-intentioned. However, not everyone has your best interests at heart. Unfortunately, scammers exist in the freelance space —and you might have people trying to take advantage of you. Before responding to any message, verify the source. Check users’ LinkedIn profiles if you see messages on there, and do some research on companies. If someone tries to ask you for payment without agreeing to something or they make empty promises about workload, treat those as red flags. 3. Try to Avoid Using Public Wi-Fi Where Possible Although convenient, public Wi-Fi can present a huge security risk . Open networks are often just that—open to others. If you send sensitive information, you could potentially risk those details falling into the wrong hands. Of course, not all public Wi-Fi networks are dangerous. Ideally, you’ll need to enter a password before using it. If you must use public Wi-Fi, try to avoid sharing sensitive information. That brings us to our next point… 4. Don’t Share Sensitive Information Where Others Can See It When you work with […]
