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HOW TO PROTECT YOUR PRIVACY ONLINE

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Written by Dan Rafter for NortonLifeLock

Revised March 21, 2021



Worried about how much of your private information is on the internet and
vulnerable to theft or misuse? You’re not alone. Online privacy is an important
issue.

But there are steps you can take to help manage and protect your financial and
personal information while you visit your favorite social media, news, and
entertainment sites.



TIPS FOR INTERNET PRIVACY

Here are some ways you can boost your online privacy.


LIMIT THE PERSONAL INFORMATION YOU SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

A smart way to help protect your privacy online? Don’t overshare on social
media. Providing too much information on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram could
make it easier for cybercriminals to obtain identifying information, which could
allow them to steal your identity or to access your financial information.

For example, could an identity thief determine your high school mascot or your
mother’s maiden name from digging through your Facebook account? This
information is sometimes used as security questions to change passwords on
financial accounts.

Unfortunately, many people don’t take this advice. In a 2018 study, the Identity
Theft Resource Center found that approximately 52 percent of respondents shared
personally identifying information through social media sites.

And that’s just the start of the oversharing. The same study found that about 48
percent of respondents shared information about their children, while nearly 33
percent shared information about their location. A total of 42 percent of
respondents shared information about their travel plans through social media.

To protect your online privacy, ignore the “About Me” fields in your social
media profiles. You don’t have to let people know what year or where you were
born — which could make you an easier target for identity theft. Explore
different privacy settings, too. You might want to limit the people who can view
your posts to those you’ve personally invited.

Create strong passwords, too, for your social media profiles to help prevent
others from logging into them in your name. This means using a combination of at
least 12 numbers, special characters, and upper- and lower-case letters. And
never use personal, easy-to-guess information — such as your birthdate or pet’s
name — as your password.


BROWSE IN INCOGNITO OR PRIVATE MODE

If you don’t want your computer to save your browsing history, temporary
internet files, or cookies, do your web surfing in private mode.

Web browsers today offer their own versions of this form of privacy protection.
In Chrome, it’s called Incognito Mode. Firefox calls its setting Private
Browsing, and Internet Explorer uses the name InPrivate Browsing for its privacy
feature. When you search with these modes turned on, others won’t be able to
trace your browsing history from your computer.

But these private modes aren’t completely private. When you’re searching in
incognito or private mode, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) can still see
your browsing activity. If you are searching on a company computer, so can your
employer. The websites you visit can also track you.

So, yes, incognito browsing does have certain benefits. But it’s far from the
only tool available to help you maintain your privacy while online. Anonymous
search engines and virtual private networks can bolster your online privacy.


USE A DIFFERENT SEARCH ENGINE

If you’re like many web surfers, you rely heavily on Google as your search
engine. But you don’t have to. Privacy is one reason people prefer to use
anonymous search engines. This type of search engine doesn’t collect or share
your search history or clicks. Anonymous search engines can also block ad
trackers on the websites you visit.


USE A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK

A virtual private network (VPN) gives you online privacy and anonymity by
creating a private network from a public internet connection. VPNs mask your
Internet Protocol (IP) address so your online actions are virtually untraceable.

Using a VPN is especially important when you’re on public Wi-Fi at a library,
coffee shop, or other public location. A VPN will make it more difficult for
cybercriminals to breach your online privacy and access your personal
information.

You can find many free VPN solutions, but it could make more sense to pay for a
service from a trusted security provider if you want the maximum amount of
privacy protection while online.



BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU CLICK

One of the ways in which hackers compromise your online privacy is through
phishing attempts. In phishing, scammers try to trick you into providing
valuable financial or personal information. They’ll often do this by sending
fake emails that appear to be from banks, credit card providers, or other
financial institutions. Often, these emails will say that you must click on a
link and verify your financial information to keep your account from being
frozen or closed.

Don’t fall for these scams. If you click on a phishing link, you could be taken
to a spoofed webpage that looks like the homepage of a bank or financial
institution. But when you enter in your account information, you’ll be sending
it to the scammers behind the phishing attempt, not any bank, credit union, or
credit card company. Before clicking on suspicious links, hover your cursor over
the link to view the destination URL. If it doesn’t match the financial website
you use, don’t click.

Also, remember that banks or other financial institutions will never ask you to
provide account or financial information through an email. If you receive such
an email and you are wary, log in directly to your financial provider’s online
account portal. You can then check to see if there are problems with your
account. Or call the financial provider yourself to ask if there are any
problems with your account — using the customer-service number from one of your
statements or the provider’s website, not the one included in the suspect email
you received.


SECURE YOUR MOBILE DEVICES, TOO

Many of us spend more time surfing the web, answering emails, and watching
videos on our smartphones than we do on our laptops. It’s important, then, to
put as much effort into protecting our online privacy on our phones and tablets
as on our computers.

To start, make sure to use a passcode to lock your phone. It might seem like a
hassle to enter a code every time you want to access your phone’s home screen.
But this passcode could offer an extra layer of protection if your phone is lost
or stolen. Make sure your passcode is complex. Don’t use your birthdate, your
house number, or any other code that thieves might be able to guess.

Use caution when downloading apps. These games and productivity tools could come
embedded with dangerous viruses. Only buy games from legitimate sources.

Use the same caution, too, when searching the web or reading emails on your
mobile devices as you do when using your laptop or desktop computer.

Don’t ignore software updates, either. These updates often include important
protections against the latest viruses. If you continue to ignore them, you
could be leaving your smartphone’s operating system and programs vulnerable to
attack.


USE QUALITY ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

Finally, always install antivirus software on all your devices. This software
can keep hackers from remotely taking over your computer, accessing your
personal and financial information, and tracking your location.

And once you install this software, don’t forget about it. Manufacturers
frequently update their virus protection software as a defense against the
latest malware, spyware, and other viruses. Install updates as soon as they
become available.

TRY NORTON 360 FREE 30-DAY TRIAL* - INCLUDES NORTON SECURE VPN


30 days of FREE* comprehensive antivirus, device security and online privacy
with Norton Secure VPN.


Join today. Cancel anytime.


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Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you.
NortonLifeLock offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime,
fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about cyber
safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that
no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not
monitor all transactions at all businesses.


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Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Microsoft and the Window logo are trademarks
of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. The Android robot is
reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according
to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License. Other names
may be trademarks of their respective owners.






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