In this hyper-connected world, securing your digital footprint is as important as bolting your front door. When you use the streets, you won’t allow anyone to follow you back to your home or spy on your activities. Not being cautious on the internet allows cybercriminals to monitor your activities and potentially get access to your systems and personal information. They can virtually enter your household through the internet portal and threaten your security and peace. But, fortunately, it’s not difficult to protect your online activities and important data from prying eyes. Here are some best practices that can help you protect your privacy in 2024:
Get a Digital Guardian
Neglecting cybersecurity when each home has multiple devices that connect to the internet is like courting disaster. For parents, cybersecurity is not just about protecting financial and personal information. It’s about protecting what’s more precious – your children and their mental health. All sorts of dangers lurk in the nooks and corners of the internet. At times, they are merely a click away from your children. Appoint a digital guardian, the best antivirus, and restore the peace of your mind. The antivirus software will make your family devices less susceptible to cyber threats and create a safer digital environment for everyone in the household.
Stay Vigilant Against Ransomware
With ransomware, cybercriminals can hold your family’s cherished photos and videos hostage, and demand payment for release. Or, they could lock you out of your system, and force you to succumb to extortion. It’s a hassle to deal with ransomware after you’ve been attacked. Remain vigilant about ransomware protection. Encourage your family to regularly create backups of data to a secure external source. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Equip Yourself and Your Family with Knowledge
You can only do so much with boundaries and parental control features. Education is the first line of defence. You need to learn about the digital landscape that your child is navigating, from the social media platforms to the online gaming realm. Learn and teach your children the importance of tweaking privacy settings for increased security on all platforms. Teach your children about the dangers of oversharing on the internet. Even when you are not around, your children should know how to protect themselves online. Instil responsible behaviour in your children and you’ll be laying the groundwork for a safer digital experience.
Some Additional Tips:
- Periodically, review the permissions on your devices to ensure that you’re not granting more access than required to apps. Pay special attention to location tracking on apps.
- Keep an eye on your financial statements for any suspicious transactions.
- Encourage everyone in the family to use encrypted messaging apps.
- Use secure browsers and privacy-focused search engines.
- Especially while using public wi-fi networks, encrypt your connection with a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
- Regularly update your systems and software to benefit from the security patches.
Wrapping Up
Apart from all of these practices, it is also important to regularly audit your digital footprint and encourage your family to do the same. See what information about you is available and take steps to get rid of all that is unnecessary or risky. Remaining proactive and diligent is vital for securing your digital footprint and online privacy.