5 tips to protect your personal data online

By: Carlota Gatius

Today, when navigating the internet, users interact in multiple ways with the websites they visit. Current pages are dynamic and offer many features that engage the user, which involves sharing personal data such as email addresses, first and last names, primarily. These personal details can be used irresponsibly or even maliciously, so it is very important to take measures to protect your personal data online.

Aside from the misuse of personal data that has been willingly provided, there are also online security risks. It is possible for your personal data to be stolen by malicious third parties and end up in databases used for fraudulent or criminal purposes.

Why is it important to protect your personal data online?

We live in the digital age where information has likely become the main asset of businesses. In this environment, cybercriminals carry out attacks with the aim of stealing this valuable personal information for profit (mainly, financial gain).

In recent years, phishing attacks and identity theft have become increasingly common, presenting serious consequences for both businesses and individuals by stealing access credentials and illegally accessing systems.

The personal or sensitive data we often handle online that can be exposed to such malicious attacks includes:

• Full name

• Contact information, such as phone number or email address

• Bank details, such as debit/credit card numbers or bank account numbers

• Medical information

• Login credentials for online portals, such as username and password for email accounts, cloud storage, websites, etc.

As we can see, the personal data exposed on the internet is indeed very sensitive. For this reason, it is important to protect personal data to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

5 Tips for protecting your personal data online

Let’s go over some recommendations to protect your personal data and browse the internet safely and securely. (You might also be interested in reading the article where we discuss how to delete your personal data from the internet.)

1. No need to register to access content

On major platforms offering content, registration is not necessary to enjoy it. By not creating an account and providing personal data on these types of portals, you reduce the amount of personal information stored on web servers.

2. Use a “clean” email

Creating an email address with very basic data, without personal information, is a good practice to access web services that require registration. This way, you achieve two objectives: on one hand, you protect your personal data, and on the other, you keep your personal email free from spam and many messages that lack real value.

3. Always browse through a VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates a “tunnel” through which we access the internet, and all the information exchanged is encrypted, providing a higher level of protection and privacy. Having a trusted VPN service for browsing the internet is one of the best solutions to ensure the security, privacy, and integrity of your personal data and all the information exchanged when navigating the web.

4. Be cautious with mobile browsing

Smartphones have become the devices many people use to browse the web, make online purchases, and perform other internet activities. The use of mobile browsing and apps that use the internet also comes with risks for our personal data. It is important to use mobile apps that are verified, so avoid installing apps that are not available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play for Android.

5. Cookie acceptance

Cookies are small files that websites store to provide users with better conditions when accessing the web, such as personalized offers based on browsing preferences, for example. They also store login credentials for platforms and websites, so users do not have to re-enter them.

If cookies are stolen by a third party, they could have access to much personal and sensitive information, so it is important to use them consciously and limit their use to protect personal data.

The current internet is all about exchanging data between users and companies, and between companies themselves, as well as among users. Protecting personal data is crucial to safeguard your privacy and intimacy and to prevent it from being exposed publicly or used for fraudulent or criminal purposes. Otherwise, we can always rely on deleting our personal data from the internet with a professional team like 202 Digital Reputation.