Safe Browsing: Keeping your data private online.
With many of us working from home and spending increasing periods of time on the internet how can we make sure our data is safe online?
I have nothing to hide
The internet is a great resource when used safely. However, there are always companies out there trying to make money from tracking what you do. This said, many people will say “I have nothing to hide so I don’t mind being tracked”, which is fine in principle, but we can all recall recent examples in the media where people’s lives, careers and relationships have been ruined by information that has been unearthed about them on the web.
At best, we are only 20 years into widespread internet use and things are developing at such a rate that we don’t know where things will be in another 20 years, both technologically and politically.
“Our internet experiences are being increasingly tailored to reflect our established views and preferences and these echo chambers are leading to increased polarisation. As such, it’s probably better to approach our usage of the internet with privacy at the forefront of our minds.”
You are being tracked
It’s a sad fact of the modern internet that in return for the many free services we use such as search engines, social media sites and blogs the internet companies are tracking our every move and selling that information onto advertisers and other data harvesting companies.
You may have found that a few moments after searching for fence posts, a new vacuum cleaner or even for a special cream to cure that itch, all the web pages you visit suddenly start serving adverts for that exact thing? That’s the trackers at work and the scary thing is, those are the ones that have a fairly straightforward purpose.
We will often confide in search engines more than our friends, family and doctors and unfortunately, the things we search for will go down on a permanent record and be held indefinitely to build a better picture of our preferences and who knows what that could be used for in ten, twenty or fifty years’ time?
Other trackers exist out there to capture every keystroke and click you make in order to virtually snoop over your shoulder when you are logging in to online banking, online shops and more. To top it off, we often use the same password across many sites so once they have your password, they can automatically try it on other sites across the web.
How to avoid being tracked across the internet.
1) Check your device settings.
The first thing to do is to find the security and privacy setting on your devices (laptop, mobile phone etc.) and turn as many of the so-called helpful functions off. Everything should still work perfectly but with less tracking.
2) Stop signing in.
Your next job is to stop signing into services like Google and Yahoo. Once you are signed in, they can directly attribute all your internet activity to you personally - not to mention your position through the maps apps, who your contacts are and they can also read all your emails. You can still use all the functionality without signing in yet they will do everything possible to make it difficult for you like constant prompts for your username and password.
3) Change your web browser.
The next thing to consider is to move away from the standard web browsers that come with your devices. Google Chrome for example is designed to capture as much information about you as possible and yet it’s the most popular browser on the internet. Keep an eye out for independent web browser creators like Firefox or Duck Duck Go. They offer the same functionality as any other browser, but with a commitment to less tracking.
4) Add security focussed plugins.
Once you have a more independent web browser, you can add little extras to it from software companies that can further improve your security called plugins or add-ons. Popular ones are Adblock Plus that stops webpages for showing you adverts, Duck Duck Go adds a host of security features and when browsing on your phone, you can use the Firefox Focus app to make your main web browser more secure.
5) Change your search engine.
We all know Google is the number 1 place to start your journey on the internet and that Windows machines come pre-configured to facilitate the use of their Bing platform. However, there are other options. Duck Duck Go and Search Encrypt are wholly committed to privacy and offer their own search results which you may or may not like if you’re used to Google. Startpage actually serves up Google’s own results in a more private way.
6) Use a VPN.
Every device connected to the internet has an IP address, which means your location can be tracked. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) add-on can mask your location and make you appear as if you are searching from Antarctica (if that’s what you wanted). They are often subscription-based but will work across many devices for everyone in your family. A few to look at are NordVPN, Express VPN and AVG.
7) Clear your history and cookies.
Your computer collects a lot of rubbish in its day to day operations, including tracking cookies. Using a simple programme like CCleaner at the end of each day will keep your computer running its best and maintain your privacy.
8) Use an Antivirus system.
Some slow your computer down and some cost a lot of money, others seem to run quietly in the background for free. Have a look at AVG, Kaspersky and Avast which all offer a free, basic setup with an option to upgrade. Many also offer a VPN upgrade.
9) Stay off social media.
It’s often been said that if you are not the person being charged for a service, it’s you that is being sold and social media sites are the apex sellers of user data. In short, social media companies exist to show highly targeted adverts to very specific people.
Facebook allows advertisers to be so specific that they can create adverts to ‘divorced women in their 50s that are interested in homes, gardens, cats and cruising’. To do this, they log everything you look at, how long for, what you did next, who you interact with, where you go, your politics, what you search for and much, much more and add it into their massive database. They know more about you than you do. If this scares you, it probably should. Big Brother is watching. You can watch the documentary The Social Dilemma on Netflix to get more insight.
Summary
You don’t know what you don’t know and the internet can look very innocent at first glance. However, digging a bit deeper we can see that user data has become the predominant commodity being sold online. As such, by taking a few basic precautions, we can browse the internet freely and with our privacy in mind.
This covers most bases to keep you safe on the internet and we will be looking at password security in a future article. What are your tips for improving online privacy? Let us know in the comments below.