The constantly evolving technology landscape continues to connect our lives more closely with the digital realm, whether it’s connecting with loved ones, sharing vacation photos, or managing finances and online shopping. While you can’t totally remove your digital footprint, you can be careful with the information you provide and take measures to reduce the amount of data you leave behind.
The convenience that comes with technological advancement has introduced potential dangers like data breaches, identity theft, and malicious attacks. This is due to a lack of user awareness about the risks or the neglect of basic protective measures. The key to protecting yourself against hackers, identity thieves, and cybercriminals is making changes to your online behaviour, reducing the amount of data you store online, and using privacy settings. Here’s how to stay one step ahead in the ever-evolving landscape.
Privacy controls: Your online defence
The first line of defence against unauthorised access to your personal data online is, like a locked door, your privacy settings. The problem is that many people don’t know how to use these settings or just choose to ignore them, even though they help you control who can access your data. This leads to an increased risk of exposure to malicious actors who can take advantage of even the slightest weaknesses. According to studies, users’ ability to protect their personal information is greatly affected by a lack of clarity. As a result, people may unknowingly provide significantly more personal information than they realise.
There are millions of people who use social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp daily to stay in touch with friends and family. While it’s great for keeping in touch with friends, these platforms might be vulnerable to hackers if users don’t properly adjust their privacy settings to prevent unauthorised access. Hackers frequently use data that is available to the public to impersonate real people and fool their friends and family. If you don’t want to be targeted, changing your privacy settings is a must.
Avoid giving out personal information like phone numbers and email addresses, restrict visibility of your profile to “friends only,” and adjust your settings to limit access.
Disable location tracking for applications that don’t need it, and regularly clear your cookies to limit unnecessary data collection. Third parties have the potential to monetise information for targeted marketing, such as GPS coordinates and contact lists. While privacy settings play a vital role, they are just one aspect of the overall picture. It is essential to consider the principle of data minimisation, which entails sharing solely the information that is required.
Data minimisation: The power of less
An easy-to-understand yet highly effective data minimisation principle is to share less personal information. This makes less of it accessible to bad actors. Many websites ask for more personal information than is necessary, whether it’s for making a purchase, completing a financial transaction, or signing up for an update. To prevent potential issues, always make sure you know the reasons behind requests for specific information.
Are there any accounts on platforms that you haven’t used in a while? These could be potential threats waiting to escalate. Numerous individuals have succumbed to cyber threats via outdated, neglected accounts that were subsequently compromised. In the year 2020, multiple inactive Twitter accounts were compromised and exploited for deceptive purposes.
Review and remove redundant accounts that are no longer active. This reduces the number of systems holding your data and lowers the chances of possible security breaches. The Jumia data breach in February 2021 underscores the urgent necessity for strong data protection guidelines. The incident exposed the private information of numerous individuals, many of whom had shared too much detail, making them vulnerable to phishing attacks. This situation highlights the necessity of limiting shared information and constantly using strong privacy configurations.
Permission to camera and microphone:
Be cautious of apps requesting access to your camera and microphone; only allow rights to apps you trust and that are essential to their operation. There are a lot of apps that ask to use these functions; however, some of them might secretly access your microphone or camera and invade your privacy and cause possible identity theft, data breaches, and other security issues. To protect your personal information, you should review and update your application permissions and web browser configurations.
Manage cookie preference:
Use the configurations within your browser to regulate the cookies permitted to monitor your online behaviour. Go to Settings, then click on Advanced on the left, and then click on Privacy & Security. After clicking on privacy and security, go to site settings and then click on cookies and site data. You can turn Allow sites to save and read cookie data on or off at the top. Additionally, you can choose to disable third-party cookies or delete cookies and site data when you leave the site.
Be cautious with extensions and software:
Install software and extensions only from sites you know and trust. Downloading from unknown sources should be done carefully since they can include viruses or malware that could damage your machine. Before installing any new program or extension to make sure they are reliable and secure, always do some research and read reviews. These steps will help you guard your personal data and maintain a flawless working device.
Use two-factor authentication:
Two-factor authentication gives your log-in method one additional step. You are prompted for a second code once you submit your password to a website or service; this code is delivered to you separately by text message or email or acquired via an authenticator app. This means that even if a threat actor gets your password, they cannot enter into your accounts since they need the additional code.
Use strong passwords:
Each of your online accounts should have a strong, one-of-a-kind password. “Password123” is no longer sufficient! Long, complex passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters are what you need. Avoiding using the same password across several accounts is also very important. An attacker could be able to access all your accounts if they manage to crack one of your passwords. You can create and remember secure, one-of-a-kind passwords for all of your accounts with the aid of a password manager.
Think of protecting your online privacy like securing your home. Privacy settings are like locking your doors, while data minimisation is like hiding your valuables. It’s an ongoing effort, just like keeping your home safe. You can better protect your personal information by being mindful of the data you share and taking steps to reduce your digital footprint.
Remember, protecting your privacy starts and ends with you!
Chinyere Chinekezi: XDR Security Analyst
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