10 Best Ways to Protecting your Privacy Online

The Internet is a very scary place to be at sometimes. Actually most of the times. Because someone is always spying on you without you knowing. We all know the famous case that was filed against Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg in the recent past. If it weren’t astonishing, I don’t know what it was. Stuff like this makes you question the authenticity of almost everything online. Although there are services like Frontier Internet that offer protection against bugs to their subscribers, hackers know how to break those codes. Well, while there is nothing much that we can do about it, here are a couple of ways that can help you protect your online privacy.

Password Manager

Look for a good password manager and make use of it. Either you will come across or some that are free or you will have to pay some amount of money to use some. Whatever the case may be, it will be worth the investment. Because a password manager helps you come up with unique passwords. And that too for all your online platforms. And in case a password of one service gets hacked, it protects the other services. You can even use it for your apps on mobile.

When Not in Use, Disable It!

Talking about your GPRS and Wi-Fi services here. Because it is very easy for people to trace your location when you are using these services. As far as the GPRS is concerned, your service provider can locate you at any time. Because of cell towers! In fact, the app developers and many other entities can access your approximate location. So avoid enabling it at times you are not using the GPRS. Coming to the Wi-Fi service, it broadcasts a detailed information about your device. Disabling Wi-Fi when you are not using it will prevent your personal information from being shared.

Free is Not Always Good

If there is anyone you want to protect yourself against, it’s the free apps that you subscribe to. Well, not literally protect. But you should consider the information that these apps are asking you to share. Because mostly they ask a lot of personal information. And sharing it can prove to be dangerous. Therefore, consider the app that you are downloading. And see if sharing all your personal information is a good idea or not.

Two-factor Authentication

This refers to an extra step that you need to go through to log in to an account. It may sound like an inconvenience. But it will protect you against the demons out there. A very famous form of two-factor authentication is you receiving a 4 or 6 digit code on your mobile. And it mostly happens when you log in from a different device. So, in case someone tried to log in from your account, you will know.

Protect Against Viruses

If you do not download apps to protect your computer against viruses and malware, you are in trouble. Because hackers will find an easy path to access your personal information. In fact, it provides hackers the authority to lock some of YOUR files. Just imagine. Therefore, install anti-virus programs.

Search Engines Be Spyin’

You might want to consider changing your search engine as well. Because search engines access your browsing history to display the relevant ads on your newsfeed. And if it is not a trustworthy search engine, the accessed information can be used against you. Therefore, play safe.

You Don’t Wanna Brag on Social Media

While it may tempt many of you to share every little detail about your life on social media, AVOID. Because all your shared information can act against you. It will make it easy for people to track you. So, revisit your privacy settings today. Make the required changes. And please refrain from over-sharing on social media.

Be Wary of Scams

You should always watch out for emails, websites or phone calls that ask you to share your personal information. Because most of the times they are scams. And many of you fall prey to it. Because scammers make use of smart tactics to get the information from you. Beware!

Don’t Download Everything

You need to be very careful with what you download. Don’t just hit the download button out of excitement. Verify the source that you are downloading from. If it is a secure website or app, then go ahead. Because most of the times, these websites have malware that accesses your information when you download the file. Play safe!

HTTPS Over HTTP Anytime

You might have noticed the ‘http’ or ‘https’ before the address of a website. While the former means that the connection between you and the website is open, the latter aims to protect you. Browsing on an HTTP website means that anyone tapping into your Internet system can see whatever you are looking at online. Which is bad. Some websites have an https setting by default. While others have it optional. If you see a ‘lock’ icon in the address bar, you are on an https website. And that means you have some level of security.

Apart from this, you should also avoid using public Wi-Fi. Especially the one that is free. Subscribe to services like FiOS Internet service. And use your own Internet whenever and wherever possible. Relying on public Wi-Fi is also dangerous because many of them are capable of accessing your personal information. And it is always a better idea to use VPN so that all your data is encrypted.

With that, I wish you all a secure browsing!