How to Protect Your Privacy Online: Top 10 Ways ¹

by Admin • Social, Web & Tech • Tags: cell phone online privacy, Clean Up Computer with a Registry Cleaner, Different Email for Social Media, How to Protect Your Privacy, how to protect your privacy online, Protect Your Cell phone Number, Protect Your Cell phone Number Privacy, Protecting Online Privacy Tips, Search Engine and Your Personal Information, Secure Anonymous Web Browser, secure Your Router and Wireless Connection, steps to secure your privacy online

Knowing how to protect your privacy online can safeguard your personal information and prevent them from being hijacked. Many people store or access their personal information directly on the internet or their personal computers. Unfortunately, credit cards, phone numbers, email addresses, passwords, personal likes and dislikes, and general sensitive information stored on computers and browsers are stolen, used and abused on daily basis. But there are ways you can protect the information and identification of yourself and your family.

How to Protect Your Privacy Online

1. Search Engine and Your Personal Information

Use a search engine that does not collect your personal information. The best known and one of the most widely used search engines that is safe is StartPage. It is a free service that has set itself apart from the rest search engine packs like Google and Yahoo. StartPage does not collect or store any of your personal information but more importantly it does not save “cookies” on your computer. StartPage runs by the label of “World’s Most Private Search Engine.”

2. Clean Up Computer Registry Cleaner

Make sure to regularly clean up your computers from time to time. Delete the items you don’t use especially all the scattered icons on your desktop. However, one of the most important steps is to clean up your computer registry with a registry cleaner like Regcure. Over time unwanted data is stored on your computer from various web sources, which in turn makes your computer run slower and compromise your privacy online. Ensure to clean your registry regularly.

3. Use Strong Passwords

It is shocking how many people use some of the top 10 most common passwords for their accounts online. Hackers have specialized and advanced software that can possibly tap into your emails and computer log-in. If your password is short and simple, it makes the hacking process much easier for them. Another important factor to remember is not to use any words or numbers that already exists in your email or username. When choosing a password be unique but aim to include difficult characters and numbers. Try using upper case and lower case letters as well as numbers combination.

4. Protect Your Cell phone Number Privacy

Many cell phones are called routinely from the Internet yet using a local phone number. You can use a service like PhoneNumberScan to block your cell phone number from online and public viewing. Moreover, if you receive prank calls from an unknown cell phone or home phone number you can use this service to trace the caller and view their names, addresses and a lot of information about them. You can then use information to report to authorities.

5. Use a Different Email for Social Media

It’s a good idea to use a different email for your social media accounts than your personal email. Social media sites like Facebook and twitter can also be hacked, which puts your email and personal information in jeopardy. Have a separate email account for your social media and setup that email to forward messages to your main and personal email account.

6. Use a Secure Anonymous Web Browser

Many people are turning to use secure web browsers, which do not take your personal information and do not leave traces of your IP address and the web pages your view for a third party. One of the most widely used Anonymous web browser is the TorWeb developed by Torproject.com. It is completely free to download and use and can help to protect your personal information when surfing the web.

7. Secure Your Router and Wireless Connection

Almost everyone has stumbled upon an unsecured wireless network that pop-ups on your phone or personal computer. Open and unsecured routers and wireless connections are huge security risk that jeopardize your online privacy. Hackers continuously look for open networks to hack into sensitive personal information.

8. Clear Browser Cache Memory

Most web browsers store images and certain files as cache to speed up the loading process. Some these stored data are personal information like banking, email content, contacts, which can be used for possible theft. If you are not using a secure web browser like TorWeb as indicated above, at least ensure to clear your browser’s cache on regular basis.

9. Educate Your Kids on Online Privacy Protection

Children are often the sources of malware and spyware and suspicious viruses that enter your computer. Kids have a tendency to click on anything when they browse the web and they do it when parents are not around. Sit down with your children, talk to them and educate them about online privacy.

10. Increase Your Privacy Settings

List all the applications, emails, social media sites, software and online tools that you use. Spend a few hours to on their settings or options pages and crank up your privacy settings. Setting higher privacy levels in your Web browser, changing your password in your email and increasing the level of your privacy settings in your social media profiles are crucial steps to protect your privacy. And remember that knowing how to protect your privacy online can save you a lot of grief later.