7 Ways to Protect your Online Privacy

Cybercriminals are giving us too many reasons to be wary when it comes to the digital space. Anytime we connect to the Internet, we are vulnerable to identity theft. As they say “One man’s trash can be another man’s treasure”.  No matter how baffling it may sound, but it is true in this scenario. A lot of information which we share online is often availed by hackers to breach our online security. Hacking can happen to anyone, but there are some careless mistakes that put you at greater risk of being exposed to cybercrime.

Almost all our day-to-day activities are carried out by either using smartphones, tablets or laptops. Be it shopping, banking, making reservations, paying bills-almost everything & anything! Now this is when hackers come into picture. Cyber criminals exploit this information to trap naïve users in their vicious tactics and tricks. Here are some precautions which you need to take to stay ahead of danger by putting your best foot forward:

7 Ways to Protect your Online Privacy

• Safeguard your Devices

It’s time to take charge of your online security. Our devices hold in a lot of sensitive information which might directly expose you to threat. Hence, it is important to defend all your devices against hacker’s tricky plans and strategies. We should make a practice to password-protect all our devices.

• Make it Difficult to Crack

Remember the “Morse Code” which transmits text information as a series of on-off tones or lights? Make your password inspired on the footprints of this code. Keeping simple passwords like “123” or “admin” is of no use, but almost give such sensitive information to hackers on a silver plate!

Read Also: How to Make Strong Password

• Take use of VPN’s

You should make use of VPN to secure your privacy, especially while using public Wi-Fi networks. Without a VPN, it’s trivial for anyone else using the same Wi-Fi to see big parts of your traffic. So use a VPN on your laptop, on your phone and your tablet to secure your privacy.

• Use emails wisely

Emails are a great way to keep in touch with our near and dear ones. Of course we all agree to this! But you never know when your friends’ account might get hacked. So it is advisable to not share any kind of private & confidential information via emails like your account number, credit card details etc.

• Don’t “Overshare”

We all have at least one social media account which is an unending commentary of our personal lives. We never hesitate to post a check-in status on Facebook or upload a picture on Instagram of a restaurant we visited last night. Well, sharing is of no harm but oversharing might meddle with your online privacy. Keep your private life to yourself if you don’t want to get conned!

• Beware of Fake Contests

Whether you’re a 16-year-old teenager or 50-year-old businessman, hackers know what to bait you with and how to bait. You might see couple of exciting deals crawling all over your screen. Beware of this bogus tricks (no matter how enticing they sound) and think twice before you click anywhere.

• Monitor your credit scores

Make it a practice to monitor your bank and credit card accounts regularly. Set alerts to be sent to your mobile phone or e-mail. Monitor your credit and public information online to spot any unauthorized activity. Take immediate steps in case you see any glitch or discrepancies in your account.

Although, there is no big ‘blackbook’ of hard & fast rules. These were just a few tips that can prevent you from any potential threat.

Stay-Alert (y)