Google Good to Know A guide to staying safe and secure online - Manual (Page 5)

Use secure networks
It’s good to be extra careful whenever you go online using a network you don’t
know or trust – like using the free Wi-Fi at your local cafe. The service provider
can monitor all traffic on their network, which could include your personal
information.
When you connect through a public Wi-Fi network, anyone in the vicinity
can monitor the information passing between your computer and the Wi-Fi
hotspot if your connection is not encrypted. Avoid doing important activities
like banking or shopping over public networks.
If you use Wi-Fi at home, you should make sure you use a password to
secure your router. Just follow the instructions provided by your Internet
Service Provider or router manufacturer to set your own password for the
router instead of using the router default password, which may be known to
criminals. If criminals are able to access your router, they can change your
settings and snoop on your online activity.
Finally, you should also make sure to secure your home Wi-Fi network so
other people can’t use it for an added layer of security. This means setting up
a password to protect your Wi-Fi network – and just like with other passwords
you choose, make sure that you pick a long, unique mix of numbers, letters
and symbols so others can’t easily guess your password. You should choose
the WPA2 setting when you configure your network for more advanced
protection.
Know your Google security and privacy tools
With Google, you have a variety of tools that can help keep you safe and keep
your information private and secure. Here are some of our most popular tools
that help make Google work better for you.
2-Step Verification
To bring even stronger levels of protection to your Google Account, we offer
2-step verification to our users. This tool adds an extra layer of security by
requiring not just a password, but also a verification code to sign in to a Google
Account. Even if your password is cracked, guessed, or otherwise stolen, an
attacker can’t sign in to your account without entering the verification code
we’ll send to your mobile phone. We offer 2-step verification in more than 50
languages and 175 countries.
Google Account Settings
On your Account settings page, you can see services and information
associated with your Google Account and change your security and privacy
settings.
Incognito Mode
In incognito mode, pages you open and files you
download aren’t recorded in Chrome’s browsing
or download history. You can also use this feature
in Chrome for Android – and Chrome is now the
default browser for new Android products, letting
you browse the web on your phone or tablet in private.