9 Tips to Protect Personal Information Online

Dr. Ankit Sharma, PhD

Tips to Protect Personal Information Online

You wouldn’t distribute duplicates of your house key while out in public. However, you may be making it easier for hackers or con artists to steal your identity or use credit card fraud if you’re not taking the tips to protect personal information online to safeguard your data.

Fortunately, being secure online can be achieved in several easy ways. You can browse worry-free with Panda Dome because it offers protection plans to suit every lifestyle. It doesn’t take much work to make your equipment, online persona, and activities more safe. Some of the following advice is simply common sense, but it will help keep you safer when using the internet.

How to Protect Personal Information Online

Tips to Protect Personal Information Online

1. Use An Antivirus And Update It

Although we refer to this kind of software as antivirus, their capabilities go well beyond simply protecting computers from real viruses. Your files are encrypted by ransomware, which then requests payment to unlock them. Trojan horse applications impersonate trustworthy apps while secretly collecting personal data about you.

With the help of bots, your computer can become a zombie army soldier, ready to launch denial-of-service attacks, spew spam, or carry out any other orders given by the bot herder. These and numerous other types of malware are prevented by a powerful antivirus program, and one of the tips to protect personal information online.

Theoretically, you can leave your antivirus software running in the background, allowing it to obtain updates and do other tasks without intervention. In actuality, you ought to review it periodically. The majority of antivirus programs show a green indicator or banner when everything is well. To get things back on track, follow the instructions if you open the utility and see yellow or red.

2. Beware When Using Public Wi-Fi

While public Wi-Fi is convenient, it isn’t the best option for protecting your personal information. Steer clear of utilizing public Wi-Fi to send or receive personal information in messages or log into key accounts (like your banking app).

Hackers may keep an eye on these networks and obtain your credentials or personal data. When using public Wi-Fi to browse the web, using a VPN can help safeguard your personal information and enable anonymous browsing.

3. Explore the Features Of Security Tools

You can secure your devices and identity with many great apps and settings with essential tips for online privacy, but they are only useful if you know how to use them. You must be familiar with the capabilities and settings of these instruments to maximize their protection potential. For instance, you may have activated the find-my-phone feature on your smartphone, and it’s most likely that it exists. However, did you utilize it so you would know how to use it in an emergency?

The majority of antivirus programs are capable of blocking Potentially Unwanted Applications (PUAs), which are annoying programs that aren’t quite malware but don’t accomplish anything useful either. However, not all of them by default allow PUA detection. Verify that your detection settings are set up to prevent these irritations.

Similarly, there can be parts of your security suite that remain dormant until you activate them. Flip through every page of the main window and at least glance at the options when you install a new security solution. If it provides a free initial onboarding tour, take advantage of it by going through the tour carefully and observing every feature.

4. Use a VPN

Whenever you utilize a public Wi-Fi network to access the Internet, you ought to use a virtual private network, or VPN. Let’s say you join a free Wi-Fi network at a coffee shop. Regarding that connection’s security, you have no knowledge. It’s possible that files and data received from your laptop or mobile device could be viewed or stolen by someone else on that network without your knowledge.

There’s a chance the owner of the hotspot is a thief, sniffing out secrets from every Wi-Fi network. Your internet traffic is encrypted and routed through a VPN company-owned server. This implies that no one can access your data, not even the owner of the public Wi-Fi network.

Your IP address is also hidden when using a VPN. Instead, the VPN provider’s address will be displayed to advertisers and trackers attempting to discover or identify you using that IP address. You can also access content that isn’t available in your area by utilizing a VPN server in another nation to spoof your location. More seriously, VPN technology has long been used by journalists and activists to securely communicate in oppressive nations.

5. Use Unique Passwords Every Time

Obtaining a list of username and password combinations from one site and attempting them elsewhere is one of the simplest methods for hackers to obtain information. Let’s take a scenario where hackers breach an email provider and obtain your login credentials. They might attempt to use the same username and password to access banking websites or popular e-commerce sites.

Using a strong, different password for every one of your online accounts is one of the greatest tips to protect personal information online to stop a single data leak from having a cascading effect.

The master password that unlocks the password manager itself is the only password you need to know while using one. The password manager automatically logs you into your online accounts once they are unlocked. That improves your productivity and efficiency while also keeping you safer. You no longer have to waste time entering your login credentials or enduring the annoying process of having to reset a forgotten password.

One more thing to think about. In the unfortunate event that a self-driving car wins the race tomorrow, how will your heirs acquire access to your accounts? The most sophisticated password managers allow you to designate a password heir—someone who will continue to have access to your account after you pass away.

6. Use Two-Factor Authentication

Although it can be troublesome, multi-factor authentication increases account security. With multi-factor authentication, gaining access to your accounts requires completing an additional authentication step in addition to your username and password. You should activate multi-factor authentication on any account that has sensitive or important data or personal information in it.

Online platforms like Dropbox, Evernote, and Gmail are a few that provide multi-factor authentication. Using a minimum of two of the three authentication methods—something you are, something you have, or something you know—multi-factor authentication confirms your identity. Of course, you already know the password. Something you could refer to as facial recognition or fingerprint authentication.

Your phone could be one of your possessions. It may prompt you to click a confirmation button on a mobile app or input a code supplied to you via SMS. Another option is to use a physical security key, since both Microsoft and Google have stated they are pushing for this type of authentication.

If all you use for login is a password, then your account is owned by whoever finds out. When multi-factor authentication is enabled, a password is meaningless on its own. While some password managers only need multi-factor authentication when they detect a connection from a new device, the majority of them support it. It is imperative that you enable multi-factor authentication for your password management.

7. Even If Passcodes Are Optional, Use Them

Use a passcode lock wherever possible, even if it’s not required. Consider all of the connections and private information on your smartphone. It’s unimaginable to live without a passcode lock. By default, many cell phones have a four-digit PIN. Never accept that. When biometric authentication is possible, use it. Instead of using a silly four-digit PIN, create a robust passcode. Recall that you can still authenticate with the passcode if you use Touch ID or anything similar; thus, it has to be strong.

There’s a six-digit option on modern iOS devices; don’t use it. Select Change Passcode (or Add Passcode if you don’t have one) under Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. If prompted, enter your previous passcode. Select Custom Alphanumeric Code from the menu to input the new code. Create a strong password and save it in your password manager as a protected note.

Setting a strong passcode on an Android handset varies depending on the device. Locate the Screen Lock settings on your smartphone, choose Password (if available), and input your previous PIN. Just as with the iOS device, capture it as a safe note and apply a strong password.

8. Clear Your Cache

Never undervalue the amount of information your browser’s cache has on you. Saved searches, saved cookies, and Web history may reveal personal information such as family tree, home address, and other details. This is one of the essential tips for online privacy.

Make sure to regularly remove browser cookies and erase your browser history to better safeguard any information that could be hiding in your browsing history. It’s simple. You may choose which browser data items you wish to erase by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Del in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Opera. Try that key combination even if you’re using a different browser; it could work. If not, go through the menu.

Certain websites may have issues if you delete their cookies, and you could lose any customization you’ve made. Most browsers allow you to add favorites to a list of websites whose cookies you shouldn’t delete. You may read our article on how to clean your cache in any browser for a comprehensive how-to.

9. Protect Your Social Media Privacy

There’s a proverb that goes, “If you’re not paying for a service, you’re the product.” Sharing images and ideas with friends is made simple by social media platforms, but it’s easy to end up sharing too much.

To find out just what the massive social media platform knows about you, you may download your Facebook data. If you’re the kind of person who often clicks on quizzes that need access to your social media accounts, it may be eye-opening. It doesn’t matter what kind of dog or Disney princess you are.

Additionally, be wary of hackers who pose as your pals on social media. Hackers often take control of your account and use it to carry out fraud after sending you a private message. If a buddy sends you a strange or unexpected private message, use email or any other form of correspondence to inquire more. It’s possible that your buddy was duped.

Types Of Cyber Crimes

Now that you know tips to protect personal information online, let’s talk about a few typical cyber crimes:

Phishing and Scam: Phishing is a kind of social engineering assault whereby an attacker sends fictitious emails and messages to a target system in an attempt to fool them into divulging personal information about themselves or attempting to download malicious software to take advantage of it.

Identity Theft: Identity theft occurs when a cybercriminal gets hold of a person’s personal data, including credit card numbers or photos, and utilizes it for illicit or fraudulent means.

Ransomware Attack: Attacks using ransomware are a widespread kind of cybercrime. This specific kind of malware has the ability to encrypt user data and demand payment in exchange for the key, thus prohibiting users from accessing any sensitive data stored on the device.

Hacking: This expression refers to the illegal act of breaking into private networks or computers without authorization and misusing them by erasing data, changing data that has already been saved, or using other illegal techniques.

Internet Fraud: Cybercrimes that include using the Internet are subdivided into internet fraud. One may consider internet fraud to be a catchall term for any online crime, including spam, financial fraud, service theft, and other misdeeds.

FAQ

Q: Why is privacy on the internet important?

A: Because it allows you to maintain control over your identity and personal data, internet privacy is crucial. Without such control, anybody with the right motivation and resources may take advantage of your identity to further their agenda, which could include stealing your funds or selling you a more costly vacation.

Q: How is the privacy of data protected?

A: Technologies including data loss prevention (DLP), data-protected storage, firewalls, encryption, and endpoint protection are the foundation of data protection systems.

Q: Why is maintaining your online safety important?

A: The likelihood of being harmed by hackers increases with the number of gadgets and online accounts you own. Because of this, it’s more important than ever to follow internet safety guidelines to shield your family and yourself from dangers that might compromise your devices and data.

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