Big data is here to stay. Which means companies everywhere, including Facebook and Google, are tracking and mining user data in every way that they can. This also means that hackers will try to collect that data and use it for their own malicious purposes.
In today’s world, while security and privacy still go hand-in-hand, it’s not possible to retain total anonymity unless you are off the grid to the Internet of Things. So, for this moment in time when privacy is most critical, you need to find ways to protect yourself.
Listed below are the top 5 ways you can protect your privacy online:
1. Be choosy about social media
In many ways, social media is a great tool used to connect with friends, family, and people from all parts of the world. However, not everyone you meet online is a friend. That is why it is critical to be choosy about your social media presence. Don’t fill out your entire social profile. Social profile data is easy to get, especially if your privacy settings are set so that your profile is open to anyone.
2. Add to your friends list wisely
Only add people you know to your friend list. If a friend of a friend requests an add, do your diligence and ask your mutual friend to make sure that they are legitimate.
3. Use two-factor Authentication
Use two-factor authentication when you can. Do you have a Google account? Set up two-factor authentication! Facebook, Apple ID, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, LinkedIn and other online services now offer two-factor authentication. Be sure to lock down these accounts for extra security.
4. Use a password vault
Many programs out there today will allow you to generate strong passwords and also to store them for different sites. While the security trend toward passwords this day and age is to generate passphrases and to have different passwords for different accounts, a password vault can help you keep track of this.
5. Check to see if your email or username has been compromised
When information about these large data breaches from companies and social media giants such as Target, Adobe, Twitter, and LinkedIn began to surface, we found out that millions of users had their information stolen. Financial information such as credit card numbers as well as usernames and passwords were among the information that was compromised.
In any of these situations, it’s a good idea to check to see if you are among the victims of these breaches. You can check the status of any email or username that you currently use or have used in the past to see if it is among the compromised: https://haveibeenpwned.com/