How much of you is for sale on the internet? The answer depends on how much information you let apps and websites collect about you. It can be anything: your location, the time you spend online, the websites you visit, pictures from your social media profiles, or even your Social Security Number.
When you submit a form, enter data on a website, or click post on Facebook, you’re handing over data. You don’t know where it goes, but it’s not just yours anymore. Most companies secure that data and keep it under lock and key. However, others sell it to data brokers, who can sell the information to anyone interested.
How to keep your data safe?
Whenever you hand over data to a company, think one step ahead. That information can end up on any corner of the internet in case of a breach. That’s a good rule of thumb to follow.
The terms and conditions have a lot of fine print, and no one ever reads it. Usually, there’s a clause where you permit companies to collect data. Now, there are several ways to handle this issue.
First, you can start deleting apps you don’t need. That’s a good idea in general. Second, you can do more research into what data you hand over to companies. That doesn’t mean you should spend an entire afternoon reading through every privacy policy and terms and conditions page you’ve accepted.
Instead, you can read the snippets from Google Play and the App Store to see what a company collects and does with the information. You can do that for your installed apps and the ones you plan to download.
Should you always avoid entering sensitive data online?
No. That doesn’t make any sense. The world has gone digital, and there are massive perks to online banking and using a credit card to order something online. But you should be careful.
It makes sense to share your driving record with your insurance company. That will save you a trip across town and get a discount. However, adding your Social Security Number to an online store where you plan to buy home décor is a red flag.
Before you enter sensitive information online, ask yourself these four questions:
- Do I know what data the website is collecting?
- Do I know who is collecting it?
- Do I understand how my data is being used?
- Do I know who is using my data?
Answering all of these questions will help you make a decision.
How to be safer online?
The digital world is dangerous. All it takes is to be hacked once, and you’ll be suspicious of everything. But there’s no reason to be paranoid, especially if you follow the best cybersecurity practices and install a few security apps.
Start by getting an antivirus and a VPN. This duo of cybersecurity apps will do 80% of the work to protect you from online threats. But make sure you use reputable providers. The free VPN versus paid VPN debate has been going on for years, and the latter is always the safer choice. Anything free comes with a catch, and the catch may be selling your data behind your back.
The remaining 20% of cybersecurity protection falls on your shoulders. You can’t expect an app to save you if you purposefully click on scammy websites or send passwords via social media apps. These are simple examples, but hackers use layers of social engineering to make you fall for a phishing attack.
Cybercriminals pretend to be legitimate companies, customer support, or even a person of power in your workplace to take advantage of your emotions. As soon as you take the bait, they can gain access to your accounts and put your data for sale on the dark web.
Think before you click, be extra careful when traveling, be wary of using free WiFi, and never download email attachments without confirming they’re safe. Follow these tips, and you won’t have to worry about your data being exploited.
