What is online privacy and how can you improve it?
Online privacy is about how secure a person is while they use the internet. Many people fail to realize their full vulnerability when creating an account online. These accounts usually contain private information, such as full names and home addresses. Shopping sites take this even further by requiring you to share financial information. It’s easy to forget about these accounts if you never revisit the sites, leaving, this way, the door open for cybercriminals.
In short, ensuring online privacy is important for preventing hackers from learning about your internet habits, such as the sites you visit, who you communicate with, and what you buy. Luckily, there are numerous ways to improve your privacy. For starters, using a reliable antivirus software is vital, and creating complex passwords is also a tried-and-true method. Additionally, you can rely on Incogni to contact data brokers that are already storing your data to have your personal information removed.
“But I have nothing to hide!”
Unfortunately, you do. Some of the biggest data breaches are prime examples of how vulnerable everyone is, whether they’re an individual or a large company. In fact, you always have something to hide, even if it’s just a password for your favorite online game. Taking that one step further, if you use the same password at work, a disaster will soon follow. Hackers don’t give a second thought to whether you’re the boss or the newest employee at the company; if you’re vulnerable, they’ll exploit it. It might not be that obvious at first, but when spear-phishing emails start arriving in your inbox, or a hacker tries to trick you into giving away private information, the only question that remains is how they got ahold of your data. Luckily, Incogni can help reveal who could have sold your information to third-party dealers and take action so that they are forced to permanently delete the data.
How hackers can access my accounts
A person using the internet is often like an open book, as there are many other ways to get your information than just hacking an abandoned account. For example, countless apps collect your data, either because you subscribe to the software or hand over your information when giving feedback to the developer. Social media stores even more information, as people often give away details like their location through sharing life events. But most importantly, the companies you provide information to can sell your data to third parties for a profit. Free VPN services are a good example, as they often cover their costs by selling your data. Consequently, while using one is recommended for encrypting your internet connection, free VPNs should be avoided.
The best thing you can do is not to leave unused accounts open. But canceling them isn’t enough, as you must also verify that your data is permanently removed. Incogni can check whether a company has refused to delete your data. If it has, Incogni contacts the relevant authorities (be that in the U.S., Canada, or Europe) and forces the broker to erase the information.
The consequences of compromised passwords
Browsing responsibly is crucial for numerous reasons. First off, by protecting yourself, you also protect your family and friends. Moreover, when hackers gain access to your accounts, they can potentially steal valuable business data – maybe not from you but through you. A single, compromised password can endanger the livelihood of entire companies. Brokers often store these passwords in a database and sell them without batting an eyelash. Asking for a password reset is the obvious first step in protecting your privacy. Additionally, Incogni can show you the level of sensitivity of stored data it finds.
Protecting your privacy on the internet is essential to ensuring a peaceful browsing experience. After all, while people nowadays spend a large amount of their free time online, no business could survive completely offline. But the truth is that if something’s private, no matter how insignificant it may seem, it should remain private.
Richárd Z.
Saskia H.
