The technology of today allows us to quickly access information, communicate with anyone around the globe, store and manage important files, and communicate at lightning speed. These huge improvements in quality of life can also make us more vulnerable. Powerful corporations and other criminals can gain access to data that we want to keep private, including our browsing history and credit card numbers, if we don’t take precautions.
7 Ways to Increase Your Online Privacy
Invest in your Security
Make sure you invest in your cybersecurity, especially if the internet is used for business purposes. Cloud platforms require that you invest in cloud security. This will ensure your cloud-hosted data is safe. To protect sensitive communications you send to employees or clients, ensure you use end-to-end encryption. You should also ensure that your physical device is protected by antivirus software. These security measures can be very cost effective and will reduce your risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime.
Also read: Top Network Security Best Practices to Implement Today
Be Wary of the Providers You Use
You should also be cautious about the service providers you choose, especially if they are handling sensitive information or other highly confidential matters. There will be different levels of security and privacy commitments from different service providers. Many companies will collect as much information as they can about you, and you may not have any options to make your data more private. Some companies will deliberately keep your data as anonymous as possible.
It can be difficult to read privacy policies, but it is worth it if you are concerned about your privacy. It is worth taking the time to learn how your vendors and service providers treat your personal data.
Use and Understand Private Browsing
Modern browsers have a “private” mode that allows you to browse the web anonymously. This mode is similar to incognito mode. It lets you surf websites without recording information such as which sites you visited or what search queries you entered. Many people don’t understand how private browsing works. This will create an isolated browsing session so that your browsing history doesn’t remain on your local device. This won’t protect you against spyware monitoring your activities or any other person snooping over your web traffic. It doesn’t provide privacy or security.
Get A VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is a great investment if you need to provide next-level security. VPNs bounce your traffic to a different server or multiple servers. This makes it almost impossible to link your browsing history to your network or device. VPNs can be set up quickly and provide a layer of security. Many also allow you to choose your server. There are many free VPN options, but it is better to pay for one. You might have security issues or caveats with a free option.
Assess Your Privacy Settings Everywhere
Many apps and platforms offer some level of privacy control, such as allowing you to choose who can view your data and how it is used. You can customize these settings to suit your needs by taking the time to learn how they work. You can make your social media profiles private or prevent advertisers from collecting browsing information.
It is also a good idea to review your app permissions. You may have given data-sharing permissions to multiple apps without realizing it. You have the opportunity to change or revoke these permissions.
Also read: Top 10 Data Protection Software for 2023
Do not use public networks (or be careful)
It is best to keep your web traffic to a private network you control. This usually means a private network that you control, either at home or at work. It should be encrypted and password protected. Avoid public networks as they can be used to spy on your traffic. You should consider additional security measures and be cautious about the information you share if you do use them.
Protect Your Passwords
Although this is an easy step, it’s crucial enough to not be overlooked. Use strong passwords with many characters, a mixture of lower-case letters and numbers, symbols, and lots of characters. You should also ensure that you regularly change your passwords and not use the same password repeatedly. Use password security software to make password management easy, especially if you have many passwords.
It’s difficult to maintain and gain full control of your online privacy these days. These simple strategies can help you increase your online privacy, security, and control over the internet. Although it is impossible to anonymize your account completely or make them unhackable, even the simplest of measures can make a big difference.
