Why you should protect your data

Another day, another data breach. This is the troubling standard in 2019 and it doesn’t look like this is going to change anytime soon. More than ever, the personal data of individuals are being leaked, stolen and in some cases even sold throughout the dark web. Your most valuable asset in the online world, your data, clearly needs to be protected and therefore you need to add a few easy steps to your routine when surfing the internet. I don’t consider myself overly tech-savvy, so hacking computers, online accounts or databases seem unachievable to me, yet it happens every day. Is it that simple? Or are businesses and individuals just too imprudent with their online security? Let’s have a closer look at what’s going on and what you can do to protect your data.

Many services we use these days require our sensitive, personal data but because they are so convenient, we want them in our life. For example: You are out with your friends, enjoying a beautiful evening and as the party comes to an end, with the push of a button, you can get picked up by a trustworthy driver. If you don’t feel like going out, you can easily order food right to your doorstep without even getting out of bed. On vacation, using your phone to navigate has never been easier to explore places you never been to. Of course, you want to share all the amazing photos you took with your friends. With social media, you can do that in seconds. But, although these services are convenient and fun to use, they rely on our personal data such as name, address, current location and so forth. If companies didn’t collect this personal data, Uber wouldn’t know where to pick us up and drop us off or Google maps couldn’t show us which way we need to go, to get to our destination. In return, we get convenient apps and services, mostly free of charge (like with social media). The problem isn’t that data is collected when the purpose is directly related to the activity or service, it’s more what happens if it gets in the wrong hands. Personal data such as your name, birthday, medical records and other private information can be stolen with the intent of committing fraud, identity theft, and other criminal activities. Even if your data is protected by the company collecting it, hackers get better every day and are often able to steal valuable information from their databases. These so-called data breaches happen very often. Sometimes the damage is small, but in other cases it can be huge. Take for example Yahoo. In 2013 they suffered the biggest data breach to date, leaking information from 3 billion users. Companies like Facebook, eBay, Uber and many more have also fallen victims to massive data breaches.

Instead of not using these online services, there are a few other things you can do to make sure your information is safe, here are my top 5 tips to protect your data:

Use a password manager

Passwords are the only thing standing between a hacker and your online accounts. Some are carrying important information such as your health care record while other accounts only keep your dog photos safe. Whatever it may be, without passwords this information would be accessible to everyone. So how do you come up with an easy-to-remember but hard-to-guess password that is not the same on all your different accounts? Correct, a password manager. From the many different options you can choose from, some are free while others come at a little cost. I wrote a separate article about password managers, have a look at it here.

Automate your software updates

I know you’re not a fan, but software updates are essential for keeping your device up to speed with the latest measures of protection that your device’s software system has to offer. By automating these updates, you can sit back, relax, and let your device do all the work for you.

Use a firewall

A computer firewall is a software program that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. It monitors all in- and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules and establishes a barrier between a trusted internal and an untrusted external network. Although a firewall provides critical protection to keep your PC safe from unauthorized access, it cannot remove malware from a system that has already been infected.

Use an Antivirus Program

It’s crucial to invest in an anti-virus program that protects your devices from all kinds of malware such as trojans, spyware, ransomware, and many others. Even the most cautious surfers on the web are likely to get infected at some point, running an antivirus program decreases the chances by almost 100%. There are many options to choose from that include different benefits, some of them even have password managers.

Delete inactive accounts

List all your online accounts and ensure as soon as you don’t use an account anymore to deactivate it and request that the company deletes your data. By doing this, your account is no longer at risk of being hacked and your personal data is safe.

These are just a few tips and tricks on what you can do to be safer on the internet. Generally speaking, be cautious of who you give your information to and make sure you are aware of how it’s being used.