The Internet is definitely a wonderful invention that makes our life much easier. But the more we use it, the more we need to think about how to protect our personal data from hackers and other types of cybercriminals.
In our time, it is almost impossible to envision life without the Internet. We use the Internet to do many things, from watching movies and playing games to chatting with friends, shopping, organizing business meetings, and so on. As life gets busier, it is much easier to complete all the necessary tasks online.
Besides the many Internet advantages, there are also disadvantages. You may have never thought about it, but the biggest problem on the Internet is security. Since cyberspace is open and accessible to a huge number of people from all over the world, there is a possibility that our personal data will be stolen and misused. In this article, we will talk about some of the ways to protect our personal data.
Some people, without thinking about Internet security, leave their personal information everywhere. They usually assume that it is perfectly safe and that all online risk stories are just conspiracy theories. And even if things like identity theft do happen, many people think it only happens to rich people. On the other hand, some believe that you will never be safe when using online services. They even avoid organizing travel online or buying tickets.
The truth is somewhere in between. When you send money over the Internet, you can leave your information, but you need to know how to protect yourself from intruders.
Personal data
Many people, and perhaps you too, are a little confused about what personal data means. In accordance with the legislation of the European Union (EU), the concept of personal data refers to all information about a person that can identify him/her.
Before we continue, we would like to introduce you to another definition – this is an objective definition of personal data. All this information can be divided into subjective and objective data. The first is information that comes directly from a person, and the other is collected through observation or examination. A good example is a piece of information gathered during a patient’s medical examination.
Encrypt your data
You can be sure that even if encryption was once used exclusively by “IT people”, today it is no longer the case. Whether you’re using a Mac or PC, it’s pretty straightforward. Operating systems use programs like Full Disk Encryption for Windows 10 and File Vault for Mac, which encrypt the data on your computer. This means that only someone with a unique encryption key can access the information stored on your computer.
Protect your social media accounts
If you have accounts on several social networks, you must use different passwords for each of them. It can be difficult to remember all of these passwords, but this is necessary if you want to be sure of the personal information confidentiality.
Also, try changing your passwords every few months. You can use a password generator to create hack resistant codes.
Protect your accounts on dating sites
If you create a profile on dating sites and apps, make sure you never share your personal security ID with anyone. It is an online verification system that is used by all dating sites. It is an essential tool to ensure the safety of all users and to prevent fraudulent users from being faked.
Set up antivirus software on your devices
A malware or virus program is a program designed to get access to your computer and cause harm. We know these programs under various names, such as a virus, worm, Trojan, etc., and of course, each of us has encountered this problem before. They can be anywhere from emails to websites and files. The best way to protect your privacy is to set up an antivirus program and check your system periodically. In addition, you should avoid downloading files that you are not sure about and visiting suspicious websites.
Protect your Wi-Fi
It is highly recommended to protect password your Wi-Fi network both at home and in the office. This way, you can be sure that people who don’t have a password won’t be able to access your Wi-Fi connection. Someone might just want to use your network without causing any real harm, but it’s always better to be safe than regret.
Turn off your computer
Do you love to fall asleep listening to your favorite YouTube music when your laptop works on all night? Perhaps you should consider changing this habit, because when you leave your computer turned on and connected to the Internet at night, it becomes an easy target for various scammers.
Set a lock on your smartphone
You never know who might have your smartphone. It can fall out of your pocket or bag and end up in the hands of a person who can use all the personal data found there for illegal purposes. If you set a lock, that person will have to crack the password before use it.
Turn off bluetooth
Bluetooth is very handy as you can share videos, photos, etc. with your friends within minutes. We tend to forget to turn it off, thinking that it won’t do any harm if it stays on, especially due to the permission request that is required to connect Bluetooth. Regardless of your security settings, however, the only way to prevent fraudsters from using your personal data is to turn off Bluetooth.