Privacy seems to be a rare commodity anymore. Everywhere you go, there are cameras, people putting everything on social media, and plenty of tracking cookies on every website you visit. Staying private and secure while online is becoming more complex.
Sometimes it means using a virtual private network. Occasionally it means avoiding public Wi-Fi. There are also best practices for preventing certain types of scams or suspicious websites. But even with all these methods, it can still be a challenge to safeguard your privacy. Here are five helpful ways to protect your privacy online.
VPNs
The hallowed (and ever-popular) VPN is one of the best ways to take up an offensive position and safeguard your online privacy. VPNs reroute your traffic to different servers throughout the world. Because of this, your IP address appears to be from a different location, possibly in a different part of the world.
This can help you access content you wouldn’t usually be able to from your region and hide your browsing history/activity from your internet service provider. Because isps tend to buy and sell data while collecting it from their users, this can keep your browsing session nice and private.
Good VPN also won’t use up too much bandwidth while allowing you to browse safely. All day to transfer through the VPN is encrypted, meaning it appears scrambled to anyone who doesn’t have a decryption key. Ultimately, using a VPN is a fantastic method of staying safe—and private—online.
Firewalls
Using a firewall is critical to maintaining security online. Firewalls are either a physical or software device that help prevent intrusions from your network.
Firewalls monitor your network for malicious activity and help prevent unauthorized intrusions from getting past your network. Most of them are pretty simple and straightforward. That means you can configure them with ease, tell them precisely what you want them to do, and use them as part of a larger security system.
Firewalls can be as simple as the ones that come built in on your computer. They can also be hardware, software, or cloud-based, giving you plenty of options to choose from. Some firewalls are a little bit more complicated but provide much more functionality and more versatile features. To get the most out of your firewall, you must configure it correctly and set up access controls, passwords, and whitelisted/blacklisted sites for your network.
Antivirus Software
Regardless of what you do online, antivirus software is necessary. New viruses, malware, and scams are created every day. To keep your information private, you must arm yourself with a powerful security tool. You should always have some type of antivirus software.
Finding the best internet security software isn’t always easy, but you can choose from a number of different options. Some internet security software offers you the basics like an antivirus and firewall. Others offer more robust features such as a vpn, identity theft protection, and customer support on top of the antivirus features.
Whatever you choose, look for something that’s going to work for you and the number of devices you own / use. Choosing the right software comes down to fitting your budget and your needs, so spend your time choosing wisely but make sure you implement something before getting online.
Multi-factor Authentication
Passwords and passphrases are an integral part of keeping things private and secure. But sometimes you need to go the extra mile to ensure better privacy. That’s where multi factor authentication can become your best friend. The best part about multi-factor authentication is that it prevents unauthorized users from accessing data if they somehow obtain your passwords. By using an authentication app, texts, emails, or other two or three factor methods, you can keep your precious passwords out of the wrong hands. MFA provides an additional layer of security as well. With that layer of security you become less of a target. Fewer attack vectors means protected credentials and eventually more privacy.
Limiting Social Media Sharing
Part of maintaining your privacy online is avoiding putting a bunch of personal information out there for people to take. That means limiting your social media sharing. Social media can be useful for communication and keeping in touch with other people.
It can be fun sometimes too. But it also has its downside. Social media can cause anxiety, make it difficult to concentrate, and put your personal information out there for unscrupulous people to steal. Let me get your social sharing by thinking about what you’re sharing before you share it. Also check your privacy settings to determine who can see what you share.
Ask yourself if what you’re putting out there is something that could compromise your privacy. Also ask yourself if it can be used against you in the future. Limiting your sharing and using social media responsibly can help you have fun with it while also maintaining your online privacy. It’s up to you to use it the right way, however, but you should definitely keep it in mind as you reinforce your online privacy practices.
