7 hacks to boost your online privacy : The Standard

The Internet has been a mixed bag. While there have been plenty of upsides, it has also brought with it a dangerous dark side. Google knows every search you’ve made (even in incognito mode). Your Internet service provider has a list of every website you’ve ever visited. Online ads seem to read your mind. For the right amount, online fraudsters can sell your exact location to whomever asks. In 2018, data breaches exposed 4.5 billion records to hackers.

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But before paranoia overtakes your brain, take a breath. There’s still plenty you can do to defend yourself online. First, though, you need to identify your ‘threat model’. There’s a difference between security and privacy. Security is somebody breaking into your online accounts. Privacy is someone having personal details about you. Which one concerns you more? Now factor in convenience. You want to be responsible but not paranoid, which is why knowing your threat model is important. Are you more worried about hackers or stalkers? Then you can decide what measures are most appropriate. If giving out personal information is an overwhelming concern, you might want to check out MySudo.

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It creates a secret identity, multiple ‘aliases’, each with their own working phone number and email address for when you have to give your home address, say, when shopping online or on a dating app. 1. Stay private on public wi-fi Public wi-fi networks usually don’t encrypt traffic, and that means anyone on the same network can try to snoop on your traffic. Avoid transmitting any sensitive data, like log-ins, passwords and credit card data, when using public wi-fi if you must use it. Alternatively, log into it using a virtual private network (VPN). 2. Get better passwords

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For five years in a row, the two most common passwords have been ‘123456’ and ‘password’. As cumbersome as it may be, you need to memorise long and unique passwords for all the services you use, and have a different one for each. If your memory is terrible, use a password manager, like Kaspersky, or a password management app like LastPass or 1Password. And if a service offers multi-factor authentication, make use of it. 3. Updates are annoying – do them anyway Most hackers use the same tricks from five years ago, but if you haven’t updated your software in five years, do you see the problem? Those updates are largely security-related, so apply them.

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Routinely update all your devices, including your desktop, laptop, smartphone and firmware on routers. Enable automatic updates on any device that offers it. After any update, check your settings. When new features are added, they often default to the least secure options. And sometimes updates turn on options you had turned off. We’re in an era of eternal vigilance. 4. Be ware of wireless services Your bluetooth should be off by default in all your mobile devices; only switch it on when you need to use it. The same applies for your location data. Avoid using services that require location information. At the very minimum, make sure any site you interact with uses ‘https’ rather than an unencrypted ‘http’ connection. 5. Stock browsers aren’t always best If you’re very serious about privacy, you may want to ignore stock browsers. Safari sends data to Apple, and Chrome sends data to Google. Go with Firefox, which is the most secure of the mainstream browsers. For even more security and privacy, you can use extensions like HTTPS Everywhere, which forces sites to encrypt your connection whenever possible; Ublock Origin, a customisable ad-blocker; and Cookie Autodelete, which prevents tracking but isn’t very convenient. Others are Multi-Account Container, which makes each tab operate as if it were a separate browser, preventing those recommendations that seem to read your mind. There’s also Track Me Not, which runs random Google searches in the background to bury your real searches in a haystack of noise. 6. Clear your cache Your browser’s cache knows quite a bit about you. Saved cookies and saved searches could reveal a lot of personal information about you. To safeguard yourself, ensure you delete browser cookies and clear your browser history on a regular basis. Deleting cookies, however, may make you lose any personalisation you’ve applied. However, most browsers will let you list favourite websites whose cookies shouldn’t be deleted. 7. If in doubt, block it Just say no to social media invitations (such as Facebook friend or LinkedIn connection requests) from people you don’t know. Phishing attacks lately appear to come from close friends, leading you to click links without hesitation. Phishing emails are generally easy to spot – they’ll contain obvious spelling mistakes and poor grammar.

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GoogleOnline Privacy