Online security is constantly evolving and changing. The threat to your personal data may not feel like a particularly real one, but it certainly can be. Just because you can’t see it happening, doesn’t mean it isn’t! Cybercriminals are now far more advanced than they have ever been before, meaning your data is even more at risk.
If that’s the case, what can be done about it? There are a few key steps you can take to help keep yourself, your data, and your privacy secure online. In this article, we will discuss just how important online security is, as well as giving you some great tips on how to safely manage your security online.
Why Is My Data Important?
Your data and online activities are important to lots of people, usually because they might be able to make some money out of exposing some of it. A security information website recently revealed just how much of our data is stored and used by other companies. It would seem that our personal data has become the most valuable asset any company could hold. Selling information about us to each other generates more sales. The amount of data that uniquely identifies us is quite scary when you dig deeper.
Why Should I Protect It?
This may not sound particularly scary to some people. Often this sort of information is met with a general feeling of “So what? They can use my data all they want, it’s not hurting me!” While that is often true, the amount of data stored is so deep and so vast, that if it ever falls into the wrong hands you could be in serious bother.
For example, if someone managed to get hold of every single piece of data stored about you by a big company, they’d quickly be able to build a picture of you. Your birthday, address, password, credit card, and other details could all be revealed in a data breach or leak. This could lead to fraudulent activity, identity theft, or real, in-person crimes occurring. It’s not all about online marketing and tracking your traffic to send you more adverts, it’s also about preventing real crime.
How To Achieve Online Security
“But, I need a password for every site and I have to give my address. How am I meant to protect my online security?” Well, there’s not much you can do about a data leak at a big company other than only using online businesses you trust, and those that you have investigated their encryption and security levels. These should be available and transparent on a company’s site. Only shop where you trust the site. Other than that, there are a few things you can do at home to protect your identity somewhat, such as:
Use A VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a clever tool that masks your location and internet history. It does this by creating a new network connection in a different location, allowing your web traffic to pass through it. This masks your location, your identity, your browser activities and more, in a bid to stop anyone intercepting or interfering with your browsing, or discovering your identity.
Use Password Managers
A huge risk many people make is using the same, simple password for multiple devices and accounts. If one is breached, they are all breached. So, to avoid someone getting your ‘master key’ for everything, use strong, complicated passwords and save them in a password manager app that only you can access. These apps are hugely encrypted to protect your passwords and can store emails and passwords separately to avoid easy hacking.
Use Two-Factor Authentication
Another top tip is to use two-factor authentication wherever it is available. This system alerts you whenever an account of yours is being accessed on a new device, allowing you to approve or deny this access request. You will be sent instructions to your main or most-recently-used device to grant access to your account elsewhere. This means that every time someone that isn’t you tries to access your email, social media, shopping, or any other online account, you can stop them before they even get past the first login attempt.
As you can clearly see, online security is a vast and expansive issue that can affect us in many ways. It is, therefore, hugely important to respect online security measures and act accordingly with our own online safety and security. The last thing any of us want is to be facing an identity theft case or have our bank accounts drained by hackers! Take these steps and start to make your online life safer.
