Strong password, 2-factor authentication, updated software: Google top executive shares tips to remain safe on internet

New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): Setting a strong password, turning on two-factor authentication, updating software from time to time are some of simple things one must do to be safe on the internet, Heather Adkins, Vice President of Engineering, Google Security, told ANI on Tuesday.
"Don't use your birth date. Don't use password as your password, and when offered the opportunity, please turn two-factor authentication on that account. Update software. Your mobile phone provider or your computer provider will provide security updates that will keep you safe online," she told ANI, on the sidelines of the event where Google unveiled a safety charter for India's AI-led transformation.

She advised people to be very suspicious of what they see online, even they come from friends and families.
"If something doesn't look quite right, ask your friend, did you really send me that? Did you send me that link? Are you trying to get me to download software? Just be a little bit heightened awareness on the internet," she supplemented.
In the same breath, she said that Google is trying to build technology so people don't have to think much about the safety aspect.
"You should be able to get a phone and have it be secured by default and alert you if something is going wrong. That's our goal," she said.
"I think it's good to be vigilant and careful and cautious, but we don't want people to be afraid of technology. It has such a benefit for everyone. It connects people online, connects people with job opportunities, education opportunities, allows for e-commerce," she outlined the positives of technology.
Talking of India, she said, "We see so much happening online. It's absolutely incredible how connected everything is, and that's just made life so much easier and really allowed India to lift up."
Further, she spoke of how Google is working on making generative AI accessible.
"Generative AI is going to become a very important part of the education of young people all around the world, and we want to make sure that they have access to do," she said.
She also outlined how Google put constraints on their products. For example, she referred to YouTube for kids.
"These are the examples, just one example of the kind of experiences that we want to build in order to make that experience safe," she added. "We're still learning because again, we want to make sure that they have access to this technology that will better their career perspectives, and make life better overall, and great solutions, but at the same time we want to make sure it's constrained," Adkins added. (ANI)