10 best strategies for online privacy

In this era of modernization, the internet has become a citadel of information and data for the public. You can reach out to any person by simply being online. While being online exposes you to enormous benefits, likewise, it increases the chances of being also exposed to cyber crimes, eventually putting your online privacy at stake. 

The internet not only stores the personal data of almost all users but also the complete data of businesses along with their financial transactions. Enough legislation has been made to stop cybercrimes, and to show the importance of online privacy. So, with the help of effective strategies, you can protect yourself from any identity theft or privacy breach. Here we will discuss the ten best tactics to make your online privacy rock solid. So, without any delay, let’s move forward.

• Avoid sharing too much information online

It has always been fascinating to share your special moments of joy with your friends online. But sharing too much of your personal and unique stuff online can be dangerous. If you compromise your online privacy, you can lose your valuable data. Furthermore, just like other social media platforms, almost all apps like Zoom, Twitter, and Facebook collect information about your online activities. And they have never been as safe as you wish. It is best to share less online to keep your online privacy intact.

• Use Two Factors as Authenticators

Two-factor authentication can be a valuable tool to safeguard your online privacy. It requires two devices or codes to authenticate the access following inputting a strong password, thus minimizing the chances of scammers and hackers breaking into your accounts online.

Some authenticator apps that can be considered to stay safe online are mentioned below.

• Google Authenticator
• Lastpass Authenticator
• Microsoft Authenticator
• Twilio Authy

• Tighten Privacy Settings for Your Online Accounts

Fortunately, it does not cost you more than a few minutes to review privacy policies and settings for the device and account you use habitually. You must review your privacy setting every now and then to avoid losing your privacy in the future. In addition, you need to be smart enough to know what to share and what not to share. 

• Search engines can track your online activities 

You must know that most search engines track your online activity and sell your data for advertisements to different companies. Furthermore, these companies make you the target for the advertisements of their products, which can be annoying and unethical. 

To avoid such situations and privacy breaches, the best thing you can do is block these search engines from tracking you. Visit Vivaldi to learn how to stop search engines from tracking.

• Revoke Unnecessary 3rd-Party App Permissions

The security of all your private accounts can also be increased by limiting their connections with other apps.

For instance, if you log in to Spotify using your Facebook account, it means your Spotify account is as safe as your Facebook account. If hackers crack the password to one app, other apps linked to it will also be at stake, and you can lose your private data. Revoking unnecessary 3rd party connections can minimize the threat of losing online privacy.

• Don’t Ignore Software Updates

If you do not habitually update software and apps on your devices, you indirectly invite cyber criminals to use these vulnerabilities for their malicious intent. Using malware, cybercriminals get into your devices to steal your data and take control of your device. 

Contrary to new bugs, privacy hackers use old bugs to get into your device to steal information. You can save yourself from these cyber criminals by regularly updating your device’s software. Having read this, you need to follow the individual instructions of each system (Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Google ChromeOS) if you are willing to set up an auto-update.

• Try to use a safe internet connection

Someone can never go wrong with a bit of online shopping, right? Most public Wi-Fi networks have very few security protections, making it easy for scammers and hackers to break in. Before thinking of using online banking or any other app on a public WIFI, you should wait until you are home or on a secure, password-protected network. 

• Clear Your Cache

You can never imagine how much cache knows about you. So, you should never underestimate the importance of removing cache from your browser. Cookies, searches, and web history can point to personal data that hackers can easily access. 

You can protect your information by simply deleting browser cookies every now and then. To get a complete guide for removing the cache from browsers, you can see how to clear the cache in any browser by PCmag. 

• Watch out for links and attachments 

Cybercriminals are cunning, so they frequently craft phishing scams that seem to be official correspondence from a bank, utility provider, or other corporate institution. Spelling mistakes or an email address that differs from the usual sender might indicate that an email is a spam. 

Furthermore, if you have been scammed and have lost your privacy, you must quickly approach cyber security professionals. And you can check how much of your personal data is already publicly available by visiting people’s search sites, for example, Nuwber. 

• Do not open spam links or promotional messages

When you receive unsolicited messages from an unknown sender, these messages are called spam in the virtual world. Most scammers tend to send these links via messages, and whenever someone tries to open the link, he or she gets exposed, opening doors for the hackers to get in. Moreover,  These spams also gather information about users and are the source of malware. You can fight spam and protect online privacy by following these simple steps. 

• Avoid sharing your email publicly.
• Think twice before clicking on unsolicited messages
• Make a habit of not replying to such spam messages. 

Conclusion

The long and short of the whole discussion is that hackers breach your data in many ways, yet its protection is still under your control. And, by devising effective strategies, you can protect your online privacy. It will be an intelligent move to use the above-mentioned strategies; you can stop any illicit intervention of any unknown person into your online identity.