Huge digital data breaches in digital privacy history currently, marketers tracing each step online, exploring the content you shared on social media – a list of digital irritants goes on. But, it’s not fully hopeless: you have a control over your privacy. Here’s how you can improve your digital privacy.
1. Check for privacy settings on social media
If you own the accounts on social media, these networks have a large amount of info regarding you and you may get amazed by how much of that is visible for everybody on internet. This is the reason why it is recommended to check the data privacy digital health settings: it’s you who decide what information to be shared with stranger and with friends – or even with none. Change your account settings on social networks from public to private for Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and twitter specially.
2. Never use the public storages for your private information
Sharing the info with everyone is considered as over sharing and it is not restricted to the social networks only. Never use the online services which are meant to share info for storing your own private data. For instance, digital privacy alert google on google docs can be an ideal location for storing your lists of passwords or Dropbox can’t an excellent venue for putting the passport scans un till they are stored in the encrypted archives. Never use these services because they are basically meant to share the data online.
3. Avoid tracking
As you visit some site online, your browser may disclose the whole bunch of the stuff regarding your browsing history and you. Marketers make use of this info from your profiles and then target you using ads. The Incognito mode can’t actually avoid such tracking: special tool must be used. Make use of private browsing and digital ethics and privacy Gartner like Kaspersky internet security for avoiding digital privacy tracking.
4. Keep your important e-mail addresses and phone numbers private
Your reward of sharing your highly personal email addresses phone numbers is the loads of spams in the email inboxes and thousands of robocalls on the phone. Though you try of avoiding the sharing of info with online services and stores, never share your info with random users on the social networks. Also think of making a disposable and separate email address, and if needed, a separate contact number for such cases. Make an extra email id and buy an extra sim card for using for the online shopping or other conditions which need sharing of data with random people.
5. Use the messaging apps that have end-to-end encryption
Many latest messaging apps have end-to-end encryption, however in a lot of cases what they say encryption is a transit – messages get decrypted on side of providers and are kept on the servers. What happens when these servers get hacked and use their digital privacy humor in actual? Never take such risk – go for end-to-end encryption – in that way, even service provider of messaging can’t view your messages. You can use the messaging apps having end-to-end encryption easily like WhatsApp; also note that by default, telegram, google allo, and Facebook Messenger do not utilize the end-to-end encryption. For enabling it, start the secret chat end-to-end encryption.
6. Using secure passwords
Utilizing the weak passwords isn’t good for protecting the digital health privacy as well as shouting the info for passersby. This is actually impossible to remember unique and long passwords for every service you use, however by using the password management, it is possible to memorize only one key or master password. Use the long passwords everywhere (12 or more characters) and make them different for every service. Also you can use the Kaspersky password manager for having secured passwords at hand.
7. Review your permissions for browser extensions and mobile apps
Mobile apps can prompt you for giving them permissions for accessing files or contacts in your device storage and for using geo locations, microphone, camera etc. Few really can’t operate without getting these permission, however few utilize this info for profiling you to market or worse. Luckily, it is easy relatively easier to control the apps which are provided which permissions. This thing stands similarly for the browser extensions, that also own an unfortunate spying tendency. Review these permissions which you provide to the mobile apps. You can do this for both iOS and android. Never install the browser extension until you actually require them. Check the permissions carefully before giving them.
8. Secure your smart phone and PC with passcodes or passwords
Your phones and PCs have a huge amount of data you’d rather kept private, thus protect it using passwords. The passwords never have to be very unique or complex, however they must keep the strangers out. On smart phones, perform a little better: use actual passwords or 6-digit PIN instead of 4 digits or screen locks. For other devices which have biometric authentication — face unlock or fingerprint reading — which is ok generally, but always remember that such technologies have also some limitations for breaking digital health privacy laws. Use biometric authentication or passwords to lock the tablets, phones, and computers.
9. Disable notifications for lock screen
If you leave notifications on for your hp digital privacy screen, any passerby will be able to see them. For keeping that info from getting appeared on your lock screen, set up the notifications correctly. Hide or disable the lock-screen notifications and other sensitive info from your lock screen.
10. Stay private on the Wi-Fi networks
The Public Wi-Fi networks generally don’t have encrypted traffic not good for your digital privacy and hackers find it easier to breach in. And this means that anyone using them can tend to snoop over that traffic. Avoid spreading your sensitive data — like logins, credit card info, passwords, and so on — on public Wi-Fi. Use a VPN for encrypting your digital privacy and protect this from the prying eyes. If you need to use the public network, always use the secured VPN connection.