It is of no doubt that in recent times security and privacy has witnessed a skyrocketed interest from the software industry. Organizations are more focused on delivering applications that are difficult to crack and take that extra mile to guarantee data is in trustworthy hands. However, this is just one side of the coin and unless the users are willing to avoid data exploitation, not much can be accomplished through these measures. Let us see a few ways in which we, as users, can confirm that the data we traverse or store is safe, and is not pried by a peeping-tom.
Web browsers
We can ensure not getting tracked by opting for privacy-first browsers like DuckDuckGo or Brave. However, if one is not comfortable with adopting these browsers, they could leverage the options offered by the popular browsers.
Search engines
Similar to browsers, we spend a significant amount of time on search engines and it gets tricky when we desire for the apt information without the annoying ads that gives us a feeling of discomfort. There are a ton of alternatives to the popular ones available, that could get us out of the ‘filter bubble’ and see the world as it is.
Password managers
Passwords like ‘secret’ and ‘abc123’ are not cool anymore and having a single password for all is much worse. Multi factor authentication techniques like one time passwords and secure pins have certainly added an additional layer of security, but these shouldn't be considered a panacea for all the secrets. To warrant a safer login, one should definitely go for a decent password manager which not only handles the passwords but also suggests and generates them for the applications.
Social networking sites
It is difficult to fight the urge to post a picture or update the status on SNS, but sharing a bit too much can be catastrophic. Notwithstanding the fact that most of the current SNS do sell the customer data in the form of advertisements, third party applications etc., one can definitely be aware of the privacy rights and be cognizant of the data they are willing to share.
Network providers
If there is one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that change is inevitable. Working from cafés, airports and vacation spots is the new normal now, so much so that many folks are preferring working from hill stations over their homes. However, safety of public wifis is questionable and the rule of thumb is to avoid accessing personal/financial information as much as possible when on them.
Personal/Professional devices
Yet another effect of working from home could be finding difficulties in drawing lines between devices meant for home and office uses. Entwining your personal and professional lives together via a work laptop is never a good idea and should be avoided at all costs.
These are some of the many steps one could take to establish ground rules while accessing and storing personal information. Yes, it could be cumbersome to adopt all of them from day one, but adapting to them in an atomic way will reap the benefits in a longer run. Be like the cat who is filled with unbridled curiosity yet draws boundaries. Who not only calls dibs on its personal space but is also unwilling when needed.
P.C. (https://unsplash.com/)
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