5 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online

You might not have suffered at the hands of hackers, but there’s a big chance you at least know of someone whose social media, credit card, or bank account has been hacked. Cybercrime issues have been on the rise over the past few years and despite the many measures tech companies take to curb the vice, cyber attack masterminds always seem to be a step ahead.

The truth of the matter is, to avoid falling prey to perpetrators of cybercrime and fraud, the biggest responsibility lies in you!

With the introduction of online banking and digital transactions, hackers have advanced their ways of getting away with peoples’ money, impersonation, and misuse of false identities. In most cases, cybercriminals prey on people who unknowingly provide or share their details and private information in unsecure or breachable online portals.

This begs the question, how exactly can you stay safe and protect your private information while conducting activities online. 

Here are 5 ways to protect your online privacy and dodge the hacker’s bullet.

1. Get a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is by far the best solution for you if you need maximum security and confidentiality for your online activities. With a good VPN, the folks from VPN Gorilla say that you can connect to any online portal, website, or platform without having to worry about your privacy and security.

Additionally, a great VPN allows you to anonymously access a wide range of blocked, tracked, and sensitive sites, including some that are prone to hackers. Your connection is encrypted, which means that your private information, as well as your IP address, is hidden from third-parties.

Moreover, a VPN can also help reduce internet usage costs, enhance performance, and even allow you the convenience of remote access.

2. Try Password Manager

With a password manager, you can get different unique passwords for different sites. Some are free whereas others come at a small cost. They also have password authentications that link your account with your phone in such a way that when you want to log in, it will send you a code that will be fed on the device you’re logging in from for it to open.

This will make it hard for hackers to breach and access your online accounts. In case one account is hacked, the other accounts cannot be interfered with because they do not share the same details.

3. Turn Your Phone’s GPS and Wi-Fi Off When Not In Use

Leaving your GPS on can give an approximate identity of your location, especially to app developers and platform providers. This information may also be accessed by tech-savvy individuals with malicious intentions.

In addition to your location, your Wi-Fi hotspot may also reveal your gadget’s apps, internet activity, and personal information. Keeping it off is a wise move to protect your online privacy.

4. Separate Your Work and Personal Profiles

It’s always advisable to keep your work-life professional and personal life private/social. On this note, you should have different email addresses for work and your personal life, for instance.

Your work email account should only contain details related to your professional life so that your employer can access them without jeopardizing your privacy. You may also consider creating separate social media profiles for your career and social life so you can easily draw the line.

5. Incognito Browsing

In the world we live in, one can hardly go a day or two without accessing social media or searching the internet for something. After all, at least most of the time, you’re always walking with literally all the information and entertainment you (may) need in your pocket, purse, or handbag.

When browsing the internet, using the incognito/privacy mode can help protect your online privacy to some extent. It does so by preventing your internet access device from storing cookies, cache, and your web surfing history.

This is especially important when using a shared device or when afraid that someone else might try accessing crucial online activity information from the device you’re using.

Apart from these, other ways you can protect your online privacy include:

• Using antivirus software
• Avoid clicking on suspicious URLs
• Change your device passwords regularly
• Keep your social media information limited

As much as the internet has made our lives much easier and more convenient, internet users are still prone to certain safety and security risks. These include identity theft, fraud, scams, cyberbullying, and much more. Using some of the tips mentioned above can make it harder for hackers to inflict harm on you using your online activity and information.