How to Protect Your Personal Privacy Online?

To this day, identity theft remains one of the hottest topics out there, and with good reason. Even though the digital world is undoubtedly a strong connecting force amongst us all, it has made us vulnerable to many risks regarding our privacy. It is incredibly important to safeguard your identity online, but it can also be rather difficult given all the sneaky ways corporations can find out who you are. That being said, there are ways to protect yourself, and it is worth acting on them as soon as possible. The following are a few tips that can help you protect your online privacy right away.

Beware of the Digital “Paper Trail”

It’s easy to forget that your information is left behind in the different nooks and crannies of the internet, regardless of how careful you are or how secure your browser maybe. Most of us don’t realize that the email we send with a few attachments is very easy to trace later on by hackers, which is why you need the ultimate data shredder to help erase vital data. These smart tools help scrub any trace of this information online, while also erasing any files related to that data. These give you a leg up in the digital war over your privacy.

Change the Way You Browse

One thing to be mindful of, if you simply want a small measure of security to safeguard your online activity, is to use a private browser when dealing with sensitive personal information. For example, if you pay your bills online, setting your browser to private – while not a perfect solution – ensures that your information is fairly protected from hackers. 

Maintain a Sense of Mystery on Social Media

Despite our mixed feelings about it, nearly everyone has some kind of presence on social media these days. Be it Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you probably have at least one of these accounts. It is important to not overshare on social media, and keep your privacy settings rather restrictive. Oversharing can be seen as somewhat uncouth, but in this case, it isn’t a matter of propriety. The more information you put out there, the easier it is for cybercriminals to obtain vital stats about you, thus stealing your identity and accessing your finances. If, for example, you post anything that could be a key to your account’s password, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your high school – you know, all the usual answers to security questions- then they are more likely to use the compromising information against you. 

Consider Different Search Engines

This might be a difficult thing to do given how reliant we are on Google, but if you want to be extra careful, then it helps to choose another search engine. Using an anonymous search engine allows you to block ad trackers so that corporations don’t necessarily have access to your information. 

All in all, these are fairly small changes, but they make a huge difference in terms of throwing Big Brother – whatever form that might take these days – off your scent. Being mindful of how much information you share online, and you use the tools at your disposal to better protect your personal and sensitive information. 

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