Make a Privacy Reform and Protect Your Digital Life

Cybersecurity has taken center stage in many of our lives. The FBI even has a "Cyber ​​Most Wanted" list that details 42 of the most dangerous cyber-criminals and groups. The types of cyber-crime have expanded from simple phishing attempts in the early 2000s to far more sophisticated and insidious attacks.

With that in mind, you may need a privacy makeover. Here are the steps you can take to ensure that your browsing experience - and all of your personal data - is protected from prying and unhappy looks.

Install HTTPS Everywhere 

HTTPS - or Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol - is the most secure version of standard HTTP that initiates any web address. You often see it in use on bank sites and other login pages, but there is an extension that you can use called HTTPS Everywhere.

If a website supports the use of HTTPS in standard navigation, this extension will automatically enable it. This means that your data is encrypted while you browse any website that supports it. It is a small step, but it is easy to give a little security.

Also, check out our of browser extensions full list that you must install to increase your privacy and security while shopping and browsing online.

Use VPN

This site has talked about VPNs extensively in the past and for good reason: they are one of the most effective ways to ensure security on any network. You should never access highly personal information, such as bank details, without using a VPN, especially on a public network.

VPN is an acronym for "virtual private network". A VPN serves several purposes: the first is that it hides your IP address, so that someone who monitors the network cannot track your computer.

The second is that it encrypts all data transferred over the network. Even if someone is monitoring the network and trying to extract your username and password, the information will be useless without the encryption key.

A third and least used function of a VPN is to mask your country of origin. If you are traveling abroad and need to access a website blocked by a government firewall, a VPN is the easiest way to do so.

However, not all VPNs are created the same way. There are numerous free options that have less features and less security than some of the more official paid options. However, don't get the idea of ​​spending a little money on a VPN - there are many options available. Just check out our list of the best VPNs to get ideas.

Use Strong Password

Let's face it: Most people choose passwords that are easy to remember instead of passwords that are strong enough to prevent force attacks. If you want to create a really impressive password, remember a few things:

• Use a different password for each account.
• Do not reuse the same password.
• Use a mixture of characters (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols).
• Do not use ordinary substitutions (4 instead of A).
• Make it long - at least 16 characters.

If that sounds like a lot to follow, it is because it is. An excellent password must be impossible to guess, even by those who know it well. However, as it is a little unrealistic to keep track of the dozens of passwords needed for the dozens of accounts you have, our suggestion is to use a password manager.

These applications only need a single username and password for the "master" account. After that, the software generates an almost unbreakable password for each of your accounts and tracks them across multiple devices.

This means that you only need to track a single password, instead of dozens. One of these options is KeePass , but there are other options like LastPass and OnePass.

Also, check if your password has been leaked online and. If so, you will need to change it anywhere you may have used it.

Keep Software and Antivirus Up to Date

Malware, viruses and hackers exploit weaknesses to gain access to private information. One of the main ways to do this is through outdated information.

Be sure to turn on automatic updates for all your software and perform checks for antivirus updates as needed. This step will not only ensure that all of your applications work as expected, but there will also be far fewer vulnerabilities in your system.

Use Secure Browsers

Chrome and Firefox may be two of the most popular browsers, but only one is concerned about their privacy. Chrome is notorious for privacy reasons and collects much more data than most people would feel comfortable with if they knew. Google collects a lot of information that allows its search engines to be the most powerful and its advertising services to be the most effective.

Firefox is not, by default, the privacy browser most effective . It has many settings that can be changed and customized to provide the best browsing experience possible. Because it is open source, there are third parties who have audited the code. Firefox receives frequent updates and provides the ability to disable telemetry and tracking.

Bravo is another option. This browser is based on Chromium and built with privacy in mind. It blocks ads and scripts by default, automatically uses HTTPS Everywhere and protects against browser fingerprints. There are some disadvantages - including the fact that Brave is based on the same source code as Chrome, but without the tracking capabilities.

A final option is the Tor Browser . Although it has a bit of a bad reputation due to its association with the dark web, it has excellent anti-tracking features, but it also has tremendously slow download speeds due to those same features.

It is not the best option for most users, but for people who want to go further in the quest for anonymity online, it is one of the few really powerful options out there.

Why Does Privacy Matter?

After all these tips, you may still not be convinced that online security is important. After all, what use would hackers have with their data? You are certainly not interesting enough to land on their radar when there are millionaires and celebrities to target.

If that is your line of thinking, you are wrong. High profile hacks are news for being high profile, because they are uncommon. The daily identity theft of credit card numbers and personal information is the bread and butter of the black hat hacker. Certainly, your credit card company will likely reimburse you for any damages, but until then, the thieves have fled with a non-negligible amount of money.

Nothing you do will make you completely safe. Even the best cyber security software will ultimately result in better hackers. It is a constant tug-of-war game between security and those who want to break it, but low fruit is always the main objective. Even if you follow only a few of these steps to make it less desirable for disaffected people on the Web, you will be ahead of the game.