How to keep your data private

• August 22, 2022
• jennifer
• Data

"Data is the new oil", a common phrase we all hear from time to time, but what’s in it for the common man? As the next technological revolution takes place, a lot of corporations and personnel are betting big on data collection; hand in hand, multiple illegal activities are revolving around the same. These activities pose a major threat not only to large organizations but also to the regular people just trying to make it to Friday. That’s why everyone, from students to working adults, needs to have basic knowledge about securing their data and keeping it private

There are multiple simplistic things one can do to keep their online presence safe:

Keep your password safe

The most obvious is to keep a strong password with various types of characters infused in it like capital and small case letters, symbols, et cetera. Changing your passwords periodically is also helpful to avoid unnecessary risks. Try not to ever save your passwords for autofill purposes even if it is convenient and saves time, as hackers sometimes need only one breakthrough to get access to all your data!

When applications and websites offer privacy settings, be aware! Try to permit as little data sharing as possible.

Anti-virus software

Anti - Virus and other security applications are important on any device, be it your mobile phones or personal computers. Avoid the free versions of the software as they might be risky and could be mining data.

Have ransomware protection software in your device and always backup your data. Ransomware attacks are where hackers take your data “hostage” and place their demands for the same. Backing up your data won’t help prevent a ransomware attack but will save you money in case one ever occurs.

Keep your Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and OS in check

Keep your BlueTooth turned off when not in use, as although the Bluetooth feature is of great convenience, it also opens gates for malicious intruders. Keeping your Bluetooth settings in an undetectable mode can also help.

Always keep your operating systems up to date. As much as an inconvenience it might feel, software updates not only fix the glitches in a system but also come with extremely important security updates.

The first thing we do after going to a cafe, before even ordering food, is connect to the free Wi-Fi, isn’t it? But these free public Wi-Fi could act as a sweet poison, posing a great deal of threat to your devices. A lot of these connections are not encrypted, meaning people could be monitoring your online presence. Also, malware present in a random stranger’s device could, in turn, affect yours. Be sure to have a firewall turned on before using such free services.

Use VPN

You might have seen advertisements for products that you recently searched about or even just talked about with your friends! These are called targeted advertisements and are unsettling proof that every action you take is recorded and analyzed by your device. To prevent such data recording, you can use available extensions that not only prevent your activity tracking but disable the viewing of ads as well!

The use of a VPN (a virtual private network) can also add layers of security to your device. It prevents location tracking of your device via your IP address and is also useful if you use free public Wi-Fi often.

Avoid sharing important financial information via a public network and make sure there’s no one around you peeping at the keyboard while you input any data in your computers or phones. This could lead to you losing all your money in fraud. Contact your bank and immediately freeze transactions if you feel your account has been tampered with.

Use social media safely

Finally, about the hot topic, social media! What can we even say about people oversharing on their Instagram and Facebook handles? Even after constantly telling them to keep their socials private and limited to certain people, they are ignorant to it. Stalkers can easily access any information they want, and you could spiral down a deep, troublesome case of identity theft.

In a nutshell, maintaining data privacy is pretty easy if one follows certain basic habits and focuses on protecting their systems. Avoid clicking on random links, and don’t do anything irrational online.