Common Internet Privacy Issues in 2018
Technology has become advanced, with that the risks of using the internet have also been more.
We should also know how vulnerable our data can be if these risks are real and happen more often. This started a couple of decades ago when the internet was created, until which our privacy was not at risk.
There are certain loopholes which are not clearly looked on to by us when it comes to internet usage. Let us take a note of it in brief.
- Around 50-52% of internet users are not aware of how to secure their devices and apps :
It is not just about setting up an Antivirus on your device which makes you feel that your device is secure, It also depends on various other factors that directly or indirectly affect your device. Most of the users are under the impression that safeguarding the computer is the only thing to be done, But you can take a count of devices that are connected to your internet network. Smartphones, Tablets, Virtual assistants, Google Home and many other devices that are connected to the internet are still able to allow attackers a way to gain access to their network without much effort.
- More than 40% of people in world who use internet do not change default passwords :
This is a very serious issue and should be avoided. You should learn that the default password provided by your ISP is a simple one and can be cracked by any attacker around the world. It should always be made sure of that the password must be changed once you gain access to something which is exclusively for your use. It is good to change the username as well if possible.
- 30-35% of the parents dont understand how to explain the risks of internet to their children:
It is always known that kids of these generation are well exposed to technology than the previous generation, but have you not noticed parents doing research about a movie, the contents and the ratings when their kids wish to watch it, or checking the concentration of a tablet when it is necessary to be given to their kids when they are ill. Then why not with internet, It is always recommended to educate the kids about the pros and cons of internet, where it has to be used and how. Nowadays it is observed that parents use the “ parental control “ tool while handing over gadgets to their kids, but this is not followed everywhere.
Due to negligence by the internet users, internet has witnessed a lot of data thefts, identity manipulations. Steps have been taken to prevent this, but these steps really do not provide the security you need.
Listed below are some common issues faced by internet users:
Search Engine :
Google being the tech giant, knows a lot of things about you that you would hardly keep a track of. From knowing your birthday, your name and certain other personal information and even your location.
Have you ever wondered what do they with this information? This information is sold to third party agencies or to display ads as per your interests. Hence search engines which keep a track of these data are usually termed to create a virtual record of every user as per users interest and their personal details.
It’s truly said that with the beginning of the internet, the loss of our privacy.
Identity Theft :
This is a frequent issue witnessed on the internet. Nearly millions of people have experienced this issue leading to financial loss or legal issues. You might have noticed that every website you enter has a contact page which asks you to enter your information like your name, your phone number, email address and may other personal details, This may be for a reference, but have you ever realised that there are a lot of hackers eyeing this information or maybe even waiting for it.
Another main cause of the problem is our habit to store passwords, cards, bank details on our browser which is the simplest way for an attacker to gain access to all your details. This has in fact led to a lot of financial losses where banks were taken to task.
Data Tracking :
Tracking is a very simple way of keeping a track of your data. All the website you visit uses cookies, going an extra mile, it is also noticed that some websites do not display all the content unless you click on “ Accept Cookies “ option, which is a new trick to gain access to your information.
Another addition to it is the use of smartphones. All the smartphone users know that the applications you install needs access to the entire device, let us consider an example of the very famous messenger application WhatsApp.
While installing WhatsApp, you always get a lot of popups or prompts asking you to choose options such as access to storage, contacts, location and many more.
While we think that this is only for the application, we should also know that the application can store all the data and it can be used against you. But as technology has advanced we have started being more vulnerable to such attacks.
Steps to be taken to stay protected on the Internet :
As it is well known that there no way to be completely safe on the web, you can still take precautions:
- Blocking Ads on your browser
- Turn off options like “ Google’s Activity tracker “ if not really needed.
- Install applications only after checking what type of access does it need and is it really necessary.
- The most important method to prevent all of the above issues is using End to end encryption which can be achieved with a VPN.
Virtual Private Network :
VPN is a short form for Virtual Private Network which helps provide encryption for your internet connection, i.e when connected to a VPN server all your browsing data is encrypted through a secure channel and an attacker will not be able to bypass your network.
With most of the VPN providers having 256-bit encryption on their servers, it is almost impossible to bypass your connection or may take several years. You can follow the below steps to secure your internet.
- Sign up for a LimeVPN account
- Set up LimeVPN on your device based on the OS you are using and the protocol you want to set it up with.
- Connect to any server which is close by to get a better speed.
- Sit back and relax as you are safe on the web.
Conclusion :
Now that you know a lot of things to be taken care while browsing on web, it is not late to be safe, Go ahead and sign up for VPN service.
Any question regarding setting it up, ask us and our 24/7 support will help you resolve it in no time.
Rachael Chapman
A Complete gamer and a Tech Geek. Brings out all her thoughts and love in writing blogs on IOT, software, technology etc
