Expert Advice to Protect Your Privacy Online

Protecting your privacy online is a common concern nowadays since we’re coming closer to a a fully internet-connected world. It’s more important than ever to maintain your personal, financial, and browsing data private. Here we will show you some tips from digital privacy experts for you to protect your data.

 

Why is a VPN important for cyber security?

“Nowadays, VPN is not just a tool, it’s a necessity! We use online banking, we send emails with sensitive personal information, we store important files on our devices, we browse dozens of websites daily and we want our search history to stay private. VPN ensures your security in the digital world and protects your devices from malware and hackers.”

VeePn

 

What is online reputation and how to protect it?

“Online reputation is the impression your brand makes whenever stakeholders research your name on the web. This impression can be shaped by anything from search results and business profiles to news articles and online reviews, and can have a very real impact on how customers, colleagues, investors and the public feel and interact with your business in the future. Needless to say, this can affect brand trust, industry authority and your ability to earn and grow revenue. Protecting your online reputation and brand integrity takes a proactive reputation management approach that includes online monitoring, negative content removal, optimized content production, SEO, review management, and other techniques that unlock opportunities and position your brand for success across the internet.”

Net Reputation

 

What is phishing and how do you protect against it?

“Phishing is a type of cyber attack that aims to deceive users into handing over personal information or granting electronic system access that can be used for the benefit of the cyber criminals perpetrating the scheme. Phishing is a creative endeavor, and cyber criminals continually design new and clever ways to reel in phishing victims. To prevent phishing, individuals and organizations alike should consider upgrading their email security, implementing stronger passwords, signing up for real-time security notifications, and applying endpoint security. At present, callback phishing, mobile phishing and spear phishing remain as persistent and worrisome cyber security threats. At present, callback phishing, mobile phishing and spear phishing remain as persistent and worrisome cyber security threats. Discover 10 of the top phishing prevention best practices here.“

Shira Landau, Check Point Software

 

What are the most common types of cybercrime?

“Cybercrimes can be divided into two broad categories i.e computer as a target and computer as a tool. The most common types of cyber-crime that our helpline receives are Cyberbullying, Sextortion, phishing/vhishing attacks,  ransomware, malware, cyber enabled human trafficking, CSAM, identity theft, and social engineering.”

CyberPeace Foundation

 

How to choose a secure cloud service 

“I believe it is important to choose a cloud provider who has security built into their design and default settings. A secure service should have basic compliances, such as HIPAA or GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), ISO standards etc., in place so that the user information can be protected at all times while using this particular providers’ product(s). Proving through testimonials from past clients how well they’ve performed during certain events will help a user make an informed decision about whether those products meet his/her needs before committing fully!“

Jyotsana Gupta, Wire19

 

What are the best practices to secure your home network?

“A router is perhaps the most important gadget in any modern-day home. It controls access to your home Wi-Fi network that is used by all Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as mobile phones, laptops, and smart IoT devices. Once your Wi-Fi network gets extended beyond your walls, it opens a wide world of opportunities to hackers who can manipulate it for their benefit. All we do in most cases is set up a password to prevent others from accessing the data. But it needs more attention. You can avoid most of the potential attacks with a few best practices detailed below:

• Replace the router’s default admin username and password. This will help avoid unauthorized access to your router settings. Also, change the default SSID(WiFi Name) and use a strong WiFi password.
• Keep your modem firmware up-to-date. An updated firmware will ensure that the latest security patches are installed.
• Turn off Plug n Play(PnP) and WPS. The PnP capability can be potentially used to inject malware programs to get access to your router’s security settings. Also, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) allows connecting new devices to the router with a push button. This makes it easier for unauthorized devices to gain access to the network. Disable this feature if you specifically want to disable it.
• Reinforce your encryption. Use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) encryption on your WiFi network. It is much more difficult to exploit.
• Use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic. A virtual private network (VPN) encrypts your internet traffic and prevents unauthorized access to your network. Setting up your Router with a VPN helps encrypt all the data transferred from every device connected to your router. Setting up a Personal or Family VPN server would be an ideal option.
• Turn on Firewall. If your router has a firewall option, enable it and manage the settings to meet your security requirements.“

Dave Marques, UTunnel VPN Solutions ​

 

What are the best ways to cover your internet activity tracks?

“The best way to cover your online activity, if you don’t use internet at all. All kidding aside, it is not an easy thing to not use internet nowadays. Why? Because there are services, which are available only via the internet.  For example talking, chatting with a relative or friend who is living far from us. Or you would like to buy something what you can order only online. For using these services your PC has to save or remember some of your personal data, and a normal PC user doesn’t know how to wipe this data from one’s PC in a proper way. This is the reason why programs have been created that do the cleaning on your computer. Of course you can say that I don’t need a program I can find my browsing history myself and erase all of it. But honestly, you won’t be able to do a perfect job manually. Even cleaning the history from your browser won’t do it properly. Usually when you delete a file, then it won’t delete it directly. It depends on the settings, but usually you will find your deleted files in your recycle bin. And even if you remove it from your recycle bin, you will be able to recover it. There are programs, which  can help you to recover your deleted files. So if a third party will get your PC or somehow get an access to your PC, one can restore all your previously deleted files and steal all of your personal data.  Therefore I recommend to use a professional program regularly, such as east-tec Eraser to remove all evidence of your computer and online activity.“

East-Tec

 

How VPNs help you avoid identity theft

“Identity theft is a common consequence. How common? It is reported that there is one occurring every 22 seconds in the USA alone, resulting in 1 in 15 Americans becoming victims of fraud. Due to its large population, the large number of companies and integration of new technology, the United States has the highest number of identity theft cases.Most Americans aren’t aware of how to protect themselves from happening a second time, as 1 in 5 victims experience this crime more than once. Besides the usual tips of monitoring your credit cards, never sharing personal info with unfamiliar contacts and strong passwords, a virtual private network (VPN) can protect you from hackers in most cases. A VPN may not be able to protect you from clicking on malicious links or installing malware, but it can protect you from a few specific techniques used by hackers. It disguises your data traffic online and protects it from external access. While connecting to public Wi-Fi on your device, a VPN protects you from cybercriminals who are known to look for others connected to the network.”

BrightVPN

 

What is a Cyber Attack?

“A cyberattack is a malicious activity that cybercriminals launch using different tactics against systems and networks. Hackers use cyberattacks to expose, gain unauthorized access, alter, steal, destroy, or make unauthorized use of information assets. Cybercriminals engage in offensive maneuvers that target information systems, infrastructures, computer networks, and personal devices to access information, restricted areas, and controls of systems without authorization.”

Cyber Experts

 

What are the characteristics of a secure backup?

“True cloud backup security is achieved through privacy-encouraged technology. That means the implementation of a zero-knowledge system in combination with client-side encryption where even the cloud backup provider doesn’t have access to your files. Sufficient redundancy and distribution across multiple data centres ensure protection against hardware failure. And to top it all off, always try to verify the company’s past performance (if they have any data breaches on their record) and check if they have complied with any of the industry security-related standards. Lastly, and even though I know it’s a hassle, enable two-factor authentication – it’s worth it!“

Cloudstorageinfo.org

 

What is the safest way to do online banking?

“There is no bullet-proof tactic or a simple answer. It’s more about end-user perspective and cybersecurity awareness. But here are some key points that have to be taken into consideration when doing online banking:

• When you’re using online banking make sure you’re accessing your bank’s official online or mobile banking app – Banks are taking the next step in ensuring cybersecurity policies such as 3D security, tokenization, Call/SMS/Mail verification, 2FA, and app authentication methods, and etc.
• We always recommend using a secured Wi-Fi connection especially when you’re doing online banking
• Don’t run additional apps/software on your device while you’re doing online banking except for the system necessary process and security software in the background
• Complete a regular scan of your device with your security software before starting online banking just as a precaution
• In the end, when you’re doing online banking try to do it in a space where you will be private physically, distanced from potential predatory eyes.”

Watchdog

 

Source: porch