Don’t Be a Data Pawn: Practical Strategies to Shield Your Online Privacy
In the digital bazaar, your clicks are currency, and your searches are commodities. Our online activities — what we search, where we click, what we buy — are collected, analysed, and used to gain a competitive edge. Like a digital squirrel, the internet hoards away bits of your data, storing it in massive tech company ‘nut caches’ for winter. Birch, Cochrane and Ward (2021) argue that personal data is no longer just a resource but also an emerging asset class shaping a new wave of economic and societal value creation. Yet, this exchange often occurs without our conscious consent, making us both the commodity and the contributor in a vast data economy. Understanding this, it becomes crucial to master the art of protecting our digital footprint.
Welcome to our guide on digital privacy! We’ll take you through the complex world of online privacy, from how your online activities are monitored to the hidden privacy costs of “free” apps. We’ll provide practical solutions to keep you safe, like using Tor and Orbot to thwart tracking, DuckDuckGo to secure your searches, LastPass to strengthen your password protection, and more! Our guide is packed with insights and actionable strategies to help you reclaim your digital sovereignty.
The Great Data Heist and How to Lock Down Your Digital Vaults
The scandal involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica was not just news; it was a wake-up call regarding our online privacy. It demonstrated how our personal information could easily be misused, turning our private moments online into tools for political manipulation. Suddenly, many people realised their personal data could be more exposed online than ever imagined. This breach made it clear that we urgently need digital vaults to protect our online information, just as we keep valuable items safe in physical vaults. Digital vaults aim not to hide but to secure our digital lives against unauthorised access and misuse. The scandal underlined the critical need for robust security measures in our online world, without which our personal information is at risk of exploitation.
Incognito Isn’t Enough: Tor and Orbot to the Rescue
Browsing in ‘incognito’ mode might feel like you’re covering your tracks, but it’s more akin to closing the curtains while leaving the front door open. While incognito mode prevents your browsing history from being stored on your device, it does little to shield your activity from external eyes. Your Internet Service Provider, network administrators, and even governments can still track your online movements in this mode.
Introducing Tor and Orbot, the dynamic duo of digital privacy. The Tor network, also known as The Onion Router, is designed to provide true online anonymity. It operates by routing your internet traffic through a complex network of relays, with each layer encrypting your data further, much like the layers of an onion. This process effectively hides your digital footprint, making it incredibly difficult for anyone to trace your activity back to you.
Orbot is a mobile application that brings the power of the Tor network to your smartphone. It acts as a gateway to the Tor network, encrypting all your mobile internet traffic and bouncing it through various relays located around the world. This results in a digital trail that is as hard to follow as whispers in the wind. This level of privacy and security goes far beyond what incognito mode can offer, ensuring your online activities remain completely private and secure.
DuckDuckGo: The Search Engine That Forgets
DuckDuckGo is a search engine that stands out for its dedication to user privacy. While Google is like a librarian who remembers every book you’ve read, DuckDuckGo cheerfully forgets you the moment you walk away. It doesn’t track your searches or create profiles based on your online activity, meaning it forgets your searches as soon as you leave.
DuckDuckGo offers several privacy protections, including private search, web and app tracking protection, smarter encryption, and email protection. It doesn’t save or share your search history, ensuring that your queries for things like the “nearest Italian restaurant” or “symptoms of a cold” disappear without a trace as soon as you close the tab.
This approach to search is in stark contrast to data-driven search engines, where every query contributes to a detailed profile of you used to tailor future searches and target ads. With DuckDuckGo, your search history is yours and yours alone, untraceable and untargeted.
Passwords as Gatekeepers: Why ‘123456’ Won’t Cut It
Passwords are often the first line of defence in our digital lives, but they are often as weak as a house of cards. In 2019, 23.2 million breached accounts used the password ‘123456’, a digital open door for data thieves. However, the risk doesn’t stop at weak passwords, it extends to the dangerous habit of reusing them.
Reusing passwords is a dangerous practice that can have vast and varied consequences. Using the same password across multiple accounts can jeopardise your online presence if there is a single breach, and is a common reason for getting hacked. The repercussions of such breaches can range from identity theft to financial fraud. Despite knowing these risks, many people continue to reuse passwords due to the challenge of remembering multiple complex passwords.
The Master Key Strategy: LastPass in Action
This is where LastPass comes into play. It acts as a vault for complex passwords, generating and storing strong, unique passwords for every account. LastPass’s built-in password generator ensures each password is a formidable barrier against unauthorised access.
LastPass also addresses the critical issue of password reuse. Its Security Challenge feature analyses your stored passwords, scoring them for overall security and indicating which ones need improvement. This feature and the ability to synchronise passwords across devices transform your password practices from predictable to fortified.
Moreover, LastPass employs robust security measures to protect your data. It uses AES-256 data encryption and PBKDF2 hashing with SHA-256 salting for authentication, ensuring your passwords are inaccessible to anyone but you. This level of encryption, combined with the option for multifactor authentication, adds an extra layer of security to your digital vault. It’s like having a personal bodyguard for your passwords, minus the sunglasses and earpiece.
To illustrate the benefits of using LastPass, consider the case of Thuli, who has multiple online accounts for work and personal use. Initially, Thuli reused several passwords across all accounts, leaving them vulnerable. However, after a security breach in one of the services, Thuli turned to LastPass. Using LastPass, Thuli could create and manage unique, strong passwords for each account. The Security Challenge feature helped identify and replace weak passwords, significantly enhancing Thuli’s online security.
The Hidden Cost of ‘Free’ Apps
‘Free’ apps, a staple in the digital diet of many, often come with an invisible price tag: your privacy. Studies consistently show that free mobile apps carry more privacy and data security risks than paid apps. This is especially true for health and fitness apps that have been found to share data with third parties, even when their privacy policies claim otherwise. Shockingly, a study by HP found that 97% of free apps had some kind of privacy issue, with many not properly encrypting data. And yes, even that ‘free’ flashlight app might be shining a light on your personal data without you knowing it.
Avast’s Hidden Fortress: Your Digital Shield
Avast Mobile Security offers a robust solution to combat these risks. With over 100 million downloads, it’s recognised as a top choice for mobile security. It’s not just another mobile security app; it’s a comprehensive shield that protects your mobile experience. Avast Mobile Security provides real-time antivirus protection, scanning for and neutralising malware, spyware, and viruses. It also includes anti-theft features, which allow users to remotely track and lock their devices and even remotely wipe data in case of theft, safeguarding sensitive information.
Avast’s powerful virus detection and removal capabilities make it an effective defence against the latest threats. Its multi-layered protection strategy identifies and eliminates various malware, ensuring proactive protection for your device. Additionally, its real-time protection feature constantly monitors your device for suspicious activity, effectively blocking multiple forms of malware without impacting device performance or battery life.
The Data Broker’s Playground: Can You Ever Win?
Dealing with data brokers is like playing a game of digital hide and seek where you’re always ‘it’, and the seekers are ninjas. Data brokers are entities that collect and aggregate personal information, from names and addresses to political preferences and online behaviour, without the knowledge or consent of individuals. This invasive industry poses a significant threat to privacy, as these brokers trade in personal details. US state Vermont passed a landmark law on data brokers, exposing the extent of this secretive industry revealing an extensive registry of corporations and individuals profiting from personal data.
Incogni and DeleteMe are two North America- and Europe-focused services that help individuals reclaim their digital footprint from data brokers. Incogni, known for its simplicity and affordability, operates in multiple countries. It automatically escalates complaints and sends takedown requests to over 170 data brokers, updating its list regularly for comprehensive protection. DeleteMe, on the other hand, targets a broader range, engaging with over 750 data brokers, many of which are US-based. It offers detailed insights into the data held about you, providing a more personalised service, especially useful for professionals and public figures who require discretion.
Consider the case of Maya, a digital marketer who found her personal information scattered across the internet. After experiencing targeted ads and unsolicited emails, Maya turned to Incogni for help. The service efficiently removed her data from multiple brokers, reducing her digital footprint. Meanwhile, Sizwe, a public figure, opted for DeleteMe to tackle his broader digital exposure. DeleteMe’s detailed reports and personalised approach helped him control how his information was shared online, offering peace of mind and enhanced privacy.
Both services pride themselves on their user-friendly interfaces and efficient customer support. Incogni offers a searchable knowledge base and a ticket system for queries. DeleteMe takes it a step further with a live chat system and dedicated support, ensuring users receive help promptly when needed.
The First Step to Digital Sovereignty
Taking the first step towards digital sovereignty is like deciding to eat healthily; it might require saying no to the digital equivalent of junk food — those oh-so-tempting but intrusive free apps. Start small: switch your search engine, secure your passwords, and protect your mobile life. Choose one privacy tool today and begin the journey. Each action you take is a stride towards reclaiming control over your digital presence. Consider your online habits and ask yourself: are they benefiting you, or do they serve the interests of unseen digital titans?
Quick Privacy Wins
- Use Tor Browser for anonymous browsing and Orbot for encrypted mobile internet traffic.
- Switch to DuckDuckGo for more private web searches.
- Secure your accounts with LastPass for strong, unique passwords.
- Enhance your mobile security with Avast Mobile Security.
- Employ Incogni or DeleteMe to cleanse your data from broker databases.
The Future of Privacy — A Collective Responsibility
Privacy’s future is not a lone crusade but a unified endeavour. It hinges on technology companies upholding their ethical duties, governments implementing and enforcing clear regulations, and individuals proactively safeguarding their digital footprint. Together, we can redistribute the power, shifting it away from data brokers and technological behemoths, and restoring it to its rightful owner — the individual.
