Simple Ways To Improve Your Online Privacy

With every platform spying on your data, there can’t be a big enough emphasis on privacy. Cybercriminals are looking for ways to scam you. The more information about you they can find online, the better they can pull off a genuine socially engineered attack.

Have you ever felt your devices are spying on you? Here’s a simple example. You’re talking about getting a birthday cake for your friend, and as soon as you open Facebook or Instagram, there’s a cake ad waiting for you. And you start seeing them everywhere. If that’s scaring you, here are simple ways to improve your online privacy.

Use security software

The most basic form of digital hygiene is cybersecurity software. A combination of an adblocker, antivirus, and virtual private network (VPN) will most likely keep you safe from 99% of incoming attacks (learn more). You won’t see those pesky cake ads when you talk about birthday presents. You won’t install malware by accident when downloading files online. To top it all off, a VPN will keep your IP address hidden, and no prying eyes will be able to check your browsing history.

A different password for every account

If you had the same key for your home, car, and office, criminals could easily break in everywhere. They would only need to get a hold of that one key. The same thing is true about passwords. If you use the same one for every account, cybercriminals can breach one random account and then break into your banking apps! A good rule of thumb is to have a different password for every account.

Make those passwords strong

Sticking to the example mentioned above, imagine if your lock and key were made of wood. Someone strong will break it in a second. The same thing applies to brute-force attacks and passwords. You need to ensure your password has more than 12 characters, mixes up uppercase and lowercase letters, and has a few numbers and symbols. Using phrases or sentences is the easiest solution. An example is a line from a song: “IsThisTheRealLife1975!” But don’t use this one since you just found it online.

Update software regularly

Updates are a pain when they don’t have any new features. Or so you think. Most updates include security features that keep your safety up to date. That’s why you have to click the update button as soon as it pops up as a notification. And you need to do that for your phone, computer, apps, and browser. If not, you’ll risk getting attacked because of a vulnerability in the previous version.

Use multi-factor authentication

A good cybersecurity tip is to enable multi-factor authentication for every account. If you don’t want to do it for every service that has the option, at least do it for the important ones, like your social media accounts, banking apps, and emails. Getting an SMS is the easiest option, but it’s much better to use an app like Google Authenticator.

Double-check email, SMS, and social media messages

You get an SMS from Amazon that your package will be delayed, and you need to click on a link to confirm. You don’t give it a second thought, click immediately, and get scammed. The same thing can happen if you get a suspicious message from your friend on Facebook or an email from your CEO asking you to send them $5000, and they’ll repay you in 2 days. All of these are common scams. You need to double-check who is sending a message. It is best to call the person to make sure it’s the real deal.

Cover your laptop camera and microphone

Hackers have the skills to breach your camera and microphone. If you can, get a webcam cover that you can open when you go to an online meeting. There’s no reason for your camera to be looking at you at any other time. If you don’t want to bother that much, put a piece of plaster over it. The same thing applies to your microphone.

Be careful when sharing real data

Why would a restaurant want to know your date of birth if you’re using their website to schedule dinner? Why should you add your mom’s maiden name during the checkout process on an e-commerce store? They don’t need such private information. If the sites get breached, your information could fall into the wrong hands. A good practice is to create a “fake you,” an imaginary character with a separate email and information you make up for such sites.