We are living in an era of information technology. Today, all major global IT companies have devised their own policies on how to handle customer data. Every major search engine, social media website, email provider, that you use has a policy and a set of terms and conditions of what they collect and how they collect, and where to use them. The activity of treating this personal data as a commodity for mere profit-making has become the trend in the 21st century. It is used by major companies to target your behavioral patterns, to create a sense of appeal.
You must have observed some advertisements exactly matching your preferences. These advertisements are created to target based on the data collected about you. However, your data could also fall into wrong hands easily if proper cyber practices are not followed. You may lose your bank details, login credentials, and many other vital details. To avoid such mishaps, the use of proper tools and cyber practices would protect your data privacy.
Listed below are some of the cybersecurity practices that could protect your private data. Read on to find out more.
1. Use a Virtual Private Network
Every site that you browse through on the network is under the surveillance of malicious groups. These groups are on the lookout for unencrypted networks to steal your system data. Public WiFis are the most common hideout places for such groups. However, this could be prevented by encrypting your data tunnel. If you are not a newbie to the computer world or haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade, you would have at least once encountered the term VPN.
A VPN is software that creates an encrypted tunnel between your system and the server. However, in a VPN, your data goes through an encrypted channel. This information is then decrypted and sent to the website servers. It prevents your information from malicious organizations and third parties from spying or breaching through your system.
2. Use Zero-Knowledge Services
Your data is accessible to the daily usage services and stored on their servers every second of the day. Every email provider like the ones you commonly use Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL, has access to every content and information contained within your mailboxes. All this information on their servers is technically authorized by you to be used for “quality of services enhancement” purposes. This data is under the constant threat of being sold or leaked out.
Although the given data is said to be used for target advertising and marketing, such companies are reported to sell your data to other companies as “offering better services”. This leads to threats such as bank losses, addresses, and login credential thefts. To remove the possible threats, the use of zero-knowledge services, like Proton mail removes the possibility of your data getting leaked to malicious organizations.
3. Choose A Proper Browser
The browser that your system operates upon could be a leading factor to determine your data security. When you browse online, the data that you operate on goes through sites to the browser. The data such as login details, passwords, and transaction history are all stored in your browser in the form of cookies.
An improper browser does not guarantee you anonymity. These browsers have weak security systems. This is why they are an easy target of cyberpunks and malicious groups who are on the lookout to steal data. Major browsers like Chrome or Firefox are the preferred browsers in recent times. These browsers protect your data by keeping them safe with firewalls that could not be easily accessed by malicious groups. This aspect makes them reliable for surfing and protects your system data.
4.Privacy settings on your computer
Every data that you put up on the network or that gets stored in your browser is under your control. The browser you use, some applications, and even Operating systems provide you options that limit your privacy. If you are a Windows PC user, especially the Windows 10 version, there are certain privacy settings within your OS framework that help you manage the extent to which advertisers target you. Each Windows OS lets advertisers create unique IDs that track your digital footprints.
These traces are used to target and advertise products based on your preferences. The Best way you can avoid being part of these tracking schemes, better called corporate surveillance schemes, is to regularly clean your cookie caches. Further, you may also block advertisers. These settings help you have control of who gets access to your data and its visibility.
5. Keep your information personal
Protecting your data is your own responsibility. No software could protect you if you let your private information leak out. Every browser, site, and application allows you to filter who has access to your personal data. Always keep your private and work emails separate. You may use a separate disposable email for subscriptions and social purposes.
Data breaches are bound to occur, but if you have multiple email addresses for multiple purposes then you may safeguard your data by a timely two-factor verification. You may also stay safe from click baits and other schemes by this strategy. Remember, you could protect your data by paying attention to your cyber practices. Hence, it is of the utmost importance to invest in technologies that keep your information safe and secure online.
Conclusion
Securing your online privacy is an ongoing battle between you and the government, and malicious organizations. There have been multiple data breaches in company servers all over the world. These groups are on the constant lookout for access to your data in order to sell it or use it for monetary purposes. They trace down your digital footprints or impinge malware in links that you come across on the network. This malware is a program that could breach your system data. This data is eventually used for monetary gains.
You may consider using different accounts for different purposes, to enable two-factor verification. Further, using unique passwords could be an additional safety. A healthy digital practice could keep your system data secure. Using these simple techniques you can stop being bait for advertising and marketing campaigns. Remember to always keep your systems updated and organized.
