Protect Your Online Privacy With These 6 Practical Steps
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Whether you have become the subject of an identity scam, financial fraud, online stalking or ceaseless advertising by marketers, protecting your online privacy is a common concern that you share with millions of online users. And news and statistics do not provide any reason to abandon these fears anytime soon. A staggering 8.5 billion accounts were estimated to have been breached by the end of 2019 and by 2020, the average cost of a data breach is expected to surpass $150 million according to a study by Juniper Research.

This shows that your cyber data might be at risk more often than you may expect. With thousands of personal data released to the cyberspace every second, protecting your online privacy, therefore, comes as a natural concern, which needs to be confronted with due urgency. In addition to the basic practices such as password security, there are other simple yet essential measures you can take to safeguard yourself in the digital environment. And we provide you with 6 vital actions for you to take for a safer online experience.

Guard against unsolicited emails and calls

Unsolicited emails and calls can be triggered by various organizations and individuals, from marketers to cybercriminals. Today, phishing attacks are one of the most menacing threats to online privacy and safety, and it's increasingly growing in numbers. Technological advances are providing criminals with sophisticated tools to fuel their unscrupulous activities. Therefore, guarding against them is an essential step to protect your data.

If you receive any suspicious emails or phone calls, you can verify the sender's details with a reverse lookup using a search engine or a people search site. Most phishing attacks are also triggered by emails and phone calls impersonating a person or an organization that you recognize. It could be, for example, an email from your local bank requesting you to verify account details. If you receive any suspicious emails or calls from someone seemingly known to you, validate the request by calling them back using the contact details you already have. Moreover, avoid clicking on links shared through emails and refrain from sharing your confidential data with others via emails and calls.

Think twice before signing up or setting up accounts

There are numerous instances where you would be prompted to sign up and share your personal information. This can take place both online and offline, from newsletter subscriptions to supermarket loyalty cards. Providing exclusive content, access or offers in exchange for personal data is a widely used marketing strategy.

However, unknown to you, your personal information could be collated and organized to target you for various marketing activities on a much larger scale. They could even be shared or sold to third-party organizations and could continue to exchange hands in a seemingly endless process. Therefore, be cautious the next time you prepare to provide personal details as part of a signup process, and only do so if it's absolutely essential. Moreover, ensure that you delete any unused or unnecessary accounts you may have already set up.

Guard your browsing activities

Your browser can reveal a staggering amount of information about your online activities and personal data. Cookies are commonly used by websites to monitor and track user behaviors including which pages you browse and your interests and preferences. This information is stored and retrieved for various purposes such as targeted advertising and to enhance the user experience.

Moreover, physical theft of your devices could easily provide access to various personal details through your search history. And passwords saved on your browser could provide others with a convenient means to access your private accounts.

Therefore, re-examine your browser settings to ensure the privacy of your online activities. Switch off the autofill function of your browser and the automatic saving of passwords. Also, delete cache and browser history on a regular basis.

Separate your mailboxes and contact numbers

Setting up a separate email address to sign up for online purchases, subscriptions, and downloads of exclusive content is an essential measure to protect your online privacy. There are also numerous websites and apps which provide temporary phone numbers for verification purposes during signups. This will allow you to safeguard your privacy by separating personal contact details from your online activities. In addition to protecting your data, this will also allow you to avoid spam emails and telemarketers.

Refrain from storing data on your devices

Storing confidential data on computers and laptops is one of the most common oversights that could compromise the security of your personal information. In addition to the risk of losing data in the event of a product malfunction, it can easily expose your information to the threats of hackings and malware attacks. Therefore, always store your confidential or sensitive documents on either an external drive or on the cloud with secure password protection.

This further applies to your mobile phone due to the numerous ways your mobile data could be compromised. Even simple apps you download could be accessing your contact lists or photo albums and sharing them with third parties.

Avoid public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi can often undermine your online security as it allows for easy eavesdropping. Therefore, avoid accessing your personal accounts or sharing confidential details while using public Wi-Fi networks. And better still, avoid using them altogether. You can instead opt for a private hot spot, which could provide you with secure internet access.

Data security has drawn global attention over the recent years with the overwhelming amount of data breaches and cybercrimes taking place every day. Therefore, take these effective measures to protect your online privacy and safeguard your data from potential threats.