In the era of having all our work done online, we put all the information out there for people to see and have access to. Although almost everyone has privacy settings to keep online dangers at bay, we still hear news about cyber crimes carried out by hackers and sometimes because of the users’ own carelessness.

This all just means that putting online privacy settings on your browser or even using a Firewall or Antivirus is not enough. If that were true, there wouldn’t be any hacking incidents as these are very commonly used measures. All of us know that nothing is really safe online because we have enough smart criminals to crack the codes and misuse whatever information we put up on the internet.

What’s Worrying?

With the growing online convenience for doing anything at all, our delicate information is stored on sites which can be hacked any day and create havoc in our lives. For example, we often provide our bank and residential details on online shopping sites putting it out there with no fear of any misuse.

Almost every online portal and tool we use extracts a certain amount of information from us which is unavoidable. For instance, search engines like Google have quite a lot of information about each one of us and let’s face it, Google remembers more about us than anyone else because our brains functions in a different way.

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The growing number of cybercrimes has been brought to attention with a number of people’s privacy being invaded. It is indeed a dangerous matter, and we all need to take steps to prevent these cybercrimes from happening because even if we see daily crimes we sure are not doing enough to prevent it from occurring.

We know that these issues are not stopping us from using the internet as it has become a major part of our lives. Hence, it is the responsibility of everyone to take measures to keep their privacy from being invaded as there has been no major security protocols regarding this matter.

By following our tips, hopefully, you can prevent your sensitive information from getting exploited. Now let’s see what are the tips that will help you in protecting your online privacy.

Use Password Protection

As a matter of fact, this tip is the simplest yet one of the most effective ones. You may consider password for only certain things like emails and social media accounts. Having passwords for all your devices like cell phones, laptops, tabs and also for your folders is necessary if you want complete security because we never know when it might fall into the wrong hands.

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Secure Your Browser

Browsing through websites can be dangerous as anyone could be tracking your moves and this would help the hackers and even advertisers to follow your bread crumbs easily.

You can keep your browser safe by keeping away advertisers which you can do by switching your browser and also by disabling JavaScript which will cut off the ways for marketers and hackers. Find all the ways that are possible to make your browsing private.

Also Read: How to Torrent Anonymously

Be Virus Free

Virus is one of the easiest ways to let in hackers in your system. This way they can easily hack your data and access your delicate information. Use antiviruses to keep your system and devices clean. There are several antiviruses that you can purchase easily. Do not forget to update them once in a while to stay safe and secure.

Use Private Browsing Modes

Some browsers have a private browsing feature. You can use this feature for better online privacy. These private browsing modes will make you anonymous online. They will also help you protect yourself while using the internet.

One of the best examples of private browsing modes is Google Chrome’s “Incognito Mode”. It is denoted by the icon of a counterspy wearing a Panama hat and round eyeglasses. You can use this mode for online anonymity. It has its limitations but if you are not using a VPN, then it is a great option.

TOR and search engines like DuckDuckGo are some other anonymous browsers that are worth mentioning. They use a secure and encrypted method for browsing and they don’t allow any cookies or pop-ups. Neither of them tracks a user’s online activity which ensures online privacy.

See What You Share on a Social Media Platform

Always filter the truth about your details because the social media is full of predators. Make sure that none of your sensitive information is shared for the world to see and also avoid sharing any type of information to strangers online.

Social media apps are usually set as public accounts by default these days, so make sure you set them to private. Do not share excessive information about yourself on social media because it is the easiest way to exploit your private information these days. There are tons of hackers who can gather your information and will open you up to online frauds.

Turn Off Your GPS

If you want to maintain your privacy while being online make sure that your GPS is turned off. When you turn off your GPS, no other device can identify where you are. Social media apps can also exploit your privacy by posting your location online.

This is a safety risk for multiple reasons. If your GPS is turned on, anyone can know where you are or when you are not home. Turning off your GPS will give you satisfaction that you can not be tracked or traced, and no one can know your whereabouts.

Also Read: How VPN can Protect You From Hackers

Beware of What You Install

Carefully go through every app and software that you install. Make sure that you get software from trusted sources and check what information is asked while installing or signing up. There are many scam apps that can hack through your data and give way to the hackers. If any app asks for excessive information, do not provide it, and never provide any sensitive information to any app.

The best way to stay safe online is to be careful and to gain more knowledge on how to protect yourself from all the little mistakes and cracks that can let your information flow out to the wrong hands.

Beware Of Spam Emails

There are tons of spam emails that we get on a daily basis. You should always delete these spam emails. Deleting these spam emails is an easy way to avoid getting hacked online.

If you open these spam files, you are most likely to fall victim to online fraud. Many people open these spam emails by mistake, so delete them as soon as you see one. If you open a link sent in a spam email, you can open yourself up to a malware attack on your device. This malware will then get access to your private information.

Use VPNs

The best way to be sure that your online activity or your private information is safe is to use a VPN. A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between you and the internet and this way your online privacy is protected. A VPN will also let you bypass geo-restrictions.

Best VPNs

There are a lot of VPN services available in the market. Some of the best ones are:

NordVPN

NordVPN has maintained its name as one of the best VPNs available in the market. Some of its best features are: military-grade encryption, automatic kill switch, DNS leak protection, P2P sharing, no-log policy, and IP address hiding. Other than that, they also offer high-security features like: double VPN, SmartPlay, and CyberSec. These features are the reason why NordVPN has been trusted by tons of people over the years, and by ‘people’, we mean the users and the reviewers equally as almost all the reviewers vouch for their services!

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands. It is also one of the top rankers among VPNs. It has excellent speed. Some of it’s best features are; no logs, unlimited bandwidth, best-in-class encryption, zero-knowledge DNS, kill switch, split tunneling, and unlimited server switches.

It works with Netflix too. It is also very user-friendly. It supports all devices, it also provides 24/7 customer service. Other than that it is excellent for streaming.

IPVanish

IPVanish is one of the oldest VPN services and it is still widely trusted today. It was created by Mudhook Marketing Inc. It has a high speed and focuses on the online privacy of its users.

Some of the best features of IPVanish are: multi-platform protection, anonymous torrenting, no-logs, unlimited server switching, and unlimited bandwidth. It also offers multiple VPN Protocols. It supports almost all the main devices like; Windows, Linux, Android, iPhone/iPad, and Mac.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost is also a great option. It lets you stream and browse without limitations. It bypasses geo-restrictions, closedowns, and digital censorship.

Some of its best features are; no-logs, ad-blocking, IP address hiding, and malware blocking. It also provides multi-platform protection. It has servers all around the world.

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