In this modern dispensation, there is no better time to be wary of data privacy. Our daily lives are integrated into the life support of the Internet. Indeed the Internet so far is the greatest invention of the world. Sadly, the internet that produced an “Obama” is also capable of producing “Osama”. Some mischievous people have taken advantage of the internet for illicit purposes to create menaces to wreak havoc on our daily lives. It is crucial one has to takes caution seriously to not fall prey to these prowlers who are ready to pounce on any form of information that is meant for internet user privacy like financial details.
This article gives you 5 valuable tips to help you overcome or prevent a data privacy breach.
- Nonchalant Data Sharing
Many internet users believe they are only susceptible to data breach only when they use social media or other applications that involve a conversation with different people. This is true since it is a potent avenue for personal data to be compromised. There is a high tendency that an Internet user may fill online subscription, or may access a webpage or blogsite that contains sensitive information. There are several public records available, that compile all the information about a person over the Internet in one place, creating what is called a “person’s account” that matches almost anyone.
The major reason for this breach is not farfetched, every internet user rarely reads terms and conditions before clicking “I agree”. That “I agree” is a window for third parties that one might not know of which include; spammers, hackers, fraudsters, and other information. The best prevention is to check what is available about you online from several search engines before giving private information. Immediately, one notices a suspicious footprint online, important tools like the highly recommendable “Nuwber” that can help you find what kind of data about you is available in databases, containing details of your credit card, email, address, or phone number.
- Passwords in insecure places
Several things catch our attention online and we open accounts immediately with little or no knowledge about the creators of the website. There is a high probability that one out of three internet users do not know how many accounts they have that require passwords. The introduction of Auto-save by internet browsers like Chrome and Firefox seems to have made everything. Even though this is helpful but if the device is stolen, criminals get access to one’s details without a sweat. It is recommended that the Internet user use applications that allow you to store your data without breaking into your browser’s history.
- Using Public WiFi Network.
Who does not love free internet? However, sometimes free things cause dangers that we spend a lot on solving. The use of WiFi in crowded places like Coffee shops and airports. They are susceptible to security problems tweaked to capture your logins. It is advisable that instances where public WiFi is to be used, accompany it with Virtual Private Network (VPN), which will encrypt your data and give you the security of your wireless network over a public connection, to keep your information safe. Most of such networks are not protected by any means and easily hacked which allows criminals to track what you do there.
- Sharing photos on social media
Let’s face it, the urge to post something about ourselves, our activities, or even our personal lives online often is irresistible. Man is a social being. However, these pictures may be “geotagged” by either the phone or social media platform giving people an insight into your movements and where to find you. A smart way to do this is to turn off location on your phone, though location could be useful sometimes if there’s no need for it to be on it should be switched off. If you feature in a photo, endeavor to strip the location off.
- Blindly accepting the privacy policy
This has turned into a necessary evil when using the internet. They are long and sometimes their wordings just seem not to make sense to common sense. Nevertheless, it is important to check for certain things, like how the company treats your private data. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled. It is better to opt-out of features that request personal data especially if it’s not from a verified or trusted site. Also, options that allow you to delete your data when you delete your account should be enabled.
Additionally, it is safe to look out for options if the company notify you of changes to their privacy policy, and secure your data from threats.
Conclusion
There has been no better time to attack private data than the Internet era, however, to prevent is better than the struggles one has to go through to cure such incursions. This article is food for thought to be clicked on before clicking your way around the Internet.
