Staying safe online is the talk of the age. Now and then, several blogs and articles provide notes on staying safe and avoiding cyber crime or theft. But these tips on how to protect your identity online include some of those measures that we don’t even bother with, like turning off our devices when not in use, setting up complicated passwords, or changing them often. Some people adopt such measures but still don’t ensure that much security. So, instead of getting bothered off and on, much better steps can be taken to avoid online theft and scam and know how to protect personal information online?.
8 Tips to Protect Personal Information Online
We are to know how to keep your personal information safe online and which of the following measures can improve the security of access to online accounts. Of course, you should consider all the steps you can take to secure your private information.
1. Use Private or Incognito mode in browsers
In this digital age, the word ‘search’ is being replaced by ‘Google’ as it is the most used and reliable source of information. As the Google search engine displays top results from previous searches, it’s clear that the cookies can trail back to the search history even if you remove the search history. To avoid this, it is recommended to use search engines that don’t stay in the thread with cookies. Several search engines like DuckDuckGo or Qwant do not record user’s IP addresses. So, by using such search engines, browsing can be done without leaving tracks.
2. Strong passwords
Now, to talk about passwords. Here’s a trick. Instead of using common names or sentences, use lyrics of your favorite song but in reverse, i.e., you reverse the letters and add some digits with them randomly. Such a password is hard to crack, or you can use a word from its third letter and join it with the second letter of some other word, making it hard to decipher. Don’t repeat letters, and keep them non-sequential. A machine cannot decode such a password even for years.
3. Use a VPN
According to companies, VPNs cannot be sneaked in. Although they slow down your internet connection and downloading, they ensure your browsing is kept private. It is the best way to answer the question- how to protect personal information online?
4. Keep a backup of your private data
Since it’s the age of smartphones and iPhones, their security is as necessary as your own safety because they’re the easiest source of cybercrime and hacking. Locking your phone is the first step to ensure your privacy regarding your cell phone. Moreover, don’t keep your private data stored on your cell phone. Keep transferring it to a hard drive or computer to keep it safe.
5. Store data on the cloud
Next, don’t keep your call log, text messages, and other private app icons over your lock screen because once unlocked, your secrets can be revealed to any person who gets your hands on your phone. Switch on your phone finder option so if it gets stolen, it can be tracked. Use cloud storage to keep the backup of your data.
6. Keep financial information secret
Avoid sharing your bank account, credit, or debit card details over your phone. Avoid accessing your bank account through your smartphone because it requires entering your PIN, which anyone can hack.
7. Automatic system updates
Instead of updating your software manually, switch on the automatic update option. This helps you in updating the right version recommended by the software manufacturers. If you try updating yourself, there’s a chance that you get hold of the wrong features, which might be a virus.
If you have Windows, you can simply do this by going into settings and choosing the automatic update option. Most manufacturers update their programs late at night, like 2-3 a.m. Therefore, you need to keep the system running, which might cause it to sleep or hibernate.
This even consumes energy and can eventually cause your system to slow down. So, instead of updating your system every night, update it once a week.
8. Disposable email address
Sometimes, visiting a website requires an email address for registering you. So, keep a disposable email address you don’t use for regular and important data sharing and alerts. This way, your inbox can stay free of scams, spam, and junk emails.
If you find these tips on how to protect your identity online useful, please comment below.