The global network has provided many benefits to users from around the globe. However, it has also compromised privacy & security.
While the security of major social media networks and platforms like Google is rock solid, a few things have their loopholes. In the online world, your security is always at risk because of a few reasons. One of them is marketers tracking your every footstep, to create algorithms for advertisements. Another vast sea of hackers looking to get into the private information of users from all around the globe. Last but not the least, pranksters and stalkers around you looking to find your private information.
When so much is secure, yet so much is not, how can you deal with it? How do you know which places you need to barricade in order to improve your online security? While there are some extreme measures, there are some minor ones that can improve your online security vastly. Therefore, to prevent you from coming under the attack of malware or phishing, let us examine what you can do.
Limit Usage of Cloud Storage
While the idea of accessing sensitive information and personal data from anywhere in the globe seems like an attractive one, it is also one of the most compromising ones. A few years ago, many celebrities had their private cloud storages hacked and their privacy compromised. Now, since then the online security has improved vastly, but the risk and the fear of coming across something similar are always there. So, how do tech geeks and gurus suggest you can prevent this? By using back-up drives. You can easily find pen drives for hundreds of gigabytes of storage. If they don’t cut it, then you can simply get external storage of a terabyte or so, to store your personal and sensitive information, photos, documents etc. That way, your cloud storage usage would be limited.
Employ Private Browsing: Prevent Tracking
Now, marketers are using algorithms that allow them to customize the advertisement that you see. While there is nothing wrong with that and it is one of the strongest marketing tools today, there are some parts that can compromise your security. So, if you wish to avoid any patterns or give away anything about your online behaviour, you can simply employ private browsing. There are many software and programs that allow you to do it. One of the examples is the incognito mode on chrome.
Turn Off Location On Your Phone
Your location on the phone is one of the most compromising elements of your security. If a hacker or a cyber-bully tends to do you some harm, then that could be troublesome. However, you can simply avoid that by turning off location on your phone or mobile devices. You can also use software’s like Circuit VPN to block your location. This way, you can avoid giving away your location to unwanted people.
Secure Your Local Network
Now, while your Wi-Fi might be in your home, your mobile phone device is never safe from attacks on public networks. That is why, if you are a user of Laptop and a mobile phone, the best way to do it is to secure your own private network. How can you do that? By employing a trusted and viable VPN, aka virtual private network. This way, you get off the radar of unwanted hackers and scammers. So, using a trusted app like Circuit VPN can help you make safe your local network and your private devices.
Use Trusted Apps For Emails & Messaging
Messaging applications on mobile phones are some of the most attacked and exploited programs. While the security of many is great, others are not so good at it. That is why it is preferred that you employ only the applications that offer end-to-end encryption. In this way, even the maker of the application would never be able to decipher your message or exchange personal information. So, the best way to avoid compromising your privacy is to use apps that offer this feature.
Use Strong Passwords & Keep Changing Them
Your passwords are your best friends in the online world. Which is why the vaguer and unique they are, the better. How can you make passwords like that? By simply using the strongest passwords that you can think of. Avoid using guessable words and try to use characters, numbers and alternate between capitalized and non-capitalized letters. More importantly, make sure you keep on changing them every now and then.
Keep Your Devices Free Of Malware
Malware inside your devices can cause you more harm than you know. Which is why it being important that you use viable anti-virus software. In most cases, Microsoft’s windows’ defender would suffice. Yet if you are using Mac or Linux, then you might have to use third-party software.
