Finding ways to stay safe and protect yourself in life has always been important. The world we live in has moved at a lightning quick pace and we spend more time than ever online. While we are all familiar with how to keep our private details private offline, not as many of us seem to know how to do it as well online.
This is a major mistake, because cybercriminals are always on the lookout to steal personal details for their own ends. As such, it is crucial to find ways to protect your digital privacy when using the internet. But how can you do this?
Stay up to date with latest digital privacy news
The world of digital privacy and cybercrime is a fast-changing place. Although there are ever-present threats you may be familiar with (such as malware or phishing), online criminals are constantly coming up with new ways to target people. Due to this, it is vital to constantly stay updated with the latest stories concerning online privacy.
Reputable websites including CyberWire are the best places to do this and make it simple to remain fully aware of the latest news in this regard. By doing this, you will not only know about the latest threats to look out for but also how to stay safe from them.
Keep your passwords secure
Just as knowing how to use internet explorer for Mac users makes sense if you own this kind of device, everyone should find out more about boosting their digital privacy. Another effective way is keeping your online passwords secure. This will not only help protect your digital privacy but also mean you stand less chance of someone breaking into your online accounts to steal money or buy stuff with your funds!
But how can you do it? In terms of passwords, it is a case of making sure that any you set are hard to guess and are changed regularly. You should also take care to not write passwords down and not leave them lying about for other people to read. It is also important to not tell other people verbally what your passwords are – you never know who is earwigging on your conversation!
Don’t give too much away online
It may sound strange but very often, we are our own worst enemies in terms of online privacy. Social media platforms can be the worst for this because we broadcast so much of our lives on them. It really is best to avoid putting any private information out into the public realm on social media sites.
Keeping your private details private will mean that nobody who is looking can use what you post against you, or for nefarious purposes. This point is also true for any digital public space you use – such as a personal website or blog. By being careful about what you post online, you will protect your digital privacy a lot more effectively.
Check your web browser and mobile phone settings
The collection of data online by certain websites and mobile apps has become something that more people think about now. This is a good thing for digital privacy because it throws light on the way our personal data has been harvested in the past by some sites or apps – often without our explicit knowledge or consent!
A good tip to staying more secure online therefore is making sure you have cookies and data collection settings turned off on your web browser. This can easily be done within your browser’s settings, and prevents any sites you visit collecting data on you without your express permission.
By the same token, it is worth looking at the settings on your mobile devices and the individual apps you use. If you make sure these are set to not collect or distribute personal data about you without your knowledge, you will stay much safer online.
Invest in decent anti-virus protection
Perhaps the last major way to protect your online privacy is by investing in top-class anti-virus software for your laptop or PC. Common examples such as Norton or McAfee are constantly updated to fight off not only the most dangerous attacks but also the most recent. Effective anti-virus software gives you peace of mind when surfing the web and ensures your details remain safe from hackers.
Digital privacy is key in modern life
We all spend so much of our time online that finding ways to boost your digital privacy is wise. Without doing this, you are exposed to online criminals who are looking for ways to steal your sensitive data. In addition, you will be seeing your private details collected by apps and websites without your knowledge. If you need a few simple ways to go about boosting your digital privacy, those listed here should help.
