Are you a privacy-conscious person? Are you the one who always wants to ensure that your online activity would stay private and secure? There are people who don’t mind that all their online activities are tracked and monitored by the government or big corporations. But, there are also people who will be very mindful of their online activity and would not let anyone to breach into their private territory.
If you are one of the privacy-conscious individuals, be aware that you need to protect your online privacy all the time. Here are 7 things that privacy-conscious individuals need to do to protect their online activity:
1. Keep Track of What You Share in Social Media
It can be said that social media has become the center of the internet, meaning that people who access the internet will access the social media. There are billions of users of various social media. You don’t know most of the people in your social media circles. So, it is wise to prevent giving away any private or personal information in social media to keep your daily activity private only for you.
2. Beware of Each Comment That You Write Online
Since the advent of Web 2.0, it is now possible for website visitors to leave comments on the websites or blogs that they visit. This includes social media and other popular websites like YouTube, news websites, image hosting sites, and so on. What you need to do is to be aware of each comment that you write there since anyone can track your comments down and reveal various personal information based on your thoughts, opinions, the way you write, and so on.
3. Keep Your VPN On All the Time
In order to keep your browsing activity private only for you, you need to never forget to keep your VPN on all the time. This is important to ensure each activity that you do online anonymous and free of any spying and monitoring by various third parties. By keeping your VPN on all the time, the government and third parties won’t know what you do online, and nobody will be able to track your activity. Moreover, you are free to access any websites that are blocked by the government or ISP.
4. Don’t Forget to Activate the Firewall
The firewall feature is usually included in your VPN subscription, and the function of this feature is to protect your device from any attacks from hackers and malicious apps or software. You need to keep the firewall on all the time. If your VPN doesn’t have any firewall feature, you should install a good firewall app or software for your device in order to add an extra layer of protection for your system and network. This is important for your online safety and privacy.
5. Use a Private Browser for Your Online Activity
Make sure that the browser you use offers the best privacy features. If you haven’t already used a private browser like Tor or Opera (with the VPN turned on), then you should start doing that because it can enhance your online privacy significantly. Or, if you prefer to keep using your regular browser, make sure that you install a good VPN extension for it. Usually, your VPN subscription will include such an extension to be installed on your browser, so be sure to check it out.
6. Try to Find Alternative Apps with Better Privacy Options
There will always be alternative apps for the current apps that you are using, which offer better privacy options and better security features. So, you should try to find such apps depending on your need. Most of these alternative apps will have an open source license so you can easily take a look at the source code and see the app structure for yourself whether it is truly safe or not. Try to use privacy email address, communication apps, file sharing services, or even operating system.
7. Avoid Using Any Apps That Don’t Respect User Privacy
When you download and install certain apps, be sure to read the privacy policy of each app. This is important so that you will know what the app will do to your data. Some apps don’t respect the user’s privacy at all, and those apps store your data and share it with third parties without your consent. If this is the case, it is important for you to avoid using any apps that don’t give you any option to protect your privacy. Make sure to always use the apps that respect your privacy fully as well as fully committed for your online security.