HOW TO SECURE OUR PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET

Be it in communications or commerce, or education, entertainment, finance, or transportation, or health, every aspect of human interaction has experienced significant advancement and improvement as a result of internet penetration. The internet has brought about exciting possibilities and easy and faster ways of communicating, transacting and performing tasks at our fingertips. These services require that users provide their personal data for optimum service delivery and user experience.

However, the downside to the collection of these data is the dangerous activities of cybercriminals who hack these services systems and steal, intercept and manipulate these data to commit crimes and other societal vices. Hence, the need to protect our data is crucial for both enterprises and individuals, especially with the number of hackers and cybercriminals continuously rising each and every year.?

To prevent the activities of these cybercriminals, governments all over the world have had to put in place laws and mechanisms to protect the personal data of citizens. However, these cybercriminals seem to always be one step ahead of regulations and laws, hence, the need for individuals to take conscious steps beyond the efforts of the government in protecting their own?personal data

The kinds of data that are capable of being compromised

The types of information that is commonly available on the internet can be divided into Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and Non-Personally Identifiable Information and cybercriminals can leverage it to impersonate you or track your browsing activities.

a)?????Personally Identifiable Information

·????????Biodata – This includes your full name,?physical address, date of birth, gender, country, language, phone number, marital status, social media handle, email address, NIN, image, fingerprint, social security number (SSN), emails, text messages, etc.

·????????Financial Data – such as account number, BVN, Credit card information, ATM, Pin, tax returns, password, credit records, etc.

·????????Medical Records – such as blood group, genotype, family medical history, allergies, health insurance, disabilities, etc.

·????????Educational/Career records – such as schools, certificates, employment history, salaries/benefits, positions, etc.

b)????Non-Personally Identifiable Information

·????????Browsing data – such as device information, IMEI number, IP address, browsing history.?Websites use?cookies or other methods to collect these data so as to track our browsing activities for advertising purposes, etc.

Nine ways to Secure your Privacy Online

Protecting our privacy online start by protecting both our devices and the networks we use.

1.??????Use strong and unique passwords: Don’t use the same password for all your accounts, so that your account will not be easily hacked by cybercriminals.

2.??????Enable 2-factor authentication:?Most online platforms are now 2FA-enabled.?

3.??????Do not reveal your password to anyone. Your password is personal to you and should be known by your alone.

4.??????Only download and install official apps that are available on verified App stores such as Apple App Store or Google Play Store.?

5.??????Regularly update your software/apps –Also make sure to your OS/software/apps as soon as updates are available.?

6.??????Use an anti-bot solution:?various credential stuffing and data breach attacks are made possible with the use of malicious bots. An?AI-powered anti-bot solution can be your most important weapon in protecting your data privacy.

7.??????Uninstall old and unused apps:? they may contain security vulnerabilities and can be a gateway for hackers to access your data.

8.??????Deactivate autofill:?autofill is a feature that is convenient and saves time, but it can be vulnerable for hackers to exploit by finding PIIs like your name, address, phone number, and more if your autofill data is stored in an unsecured location.

9.??????Use VPN:?Virtual Private Network (VPN) is ideal when you are sharing important/sensitive data and make sensitive transactions

Conclusion?

Online privacy is no longer the exclusive duty of big tech companies, but everyone, because everyone can be a victim of cybercrime. The task of protecting our online privacy should not be left to the regulators and service providers alone. We all have a prominent role to play and it is a task we must prioritize as we surf the internet. We must understand the data requirements of each service and be mindful of the kind of data we share on social media; the passwords we use as well as the security of your information will help you protect your private information.

Companies on their part must implement proper technical, security and organizational measures to avoid data breaches, protect personal data, develop the ability to detect data breach when it occurs and reduce to the lowest minimum the consequences of such breach.