In the digital age, the digital privacy of personal data is more critical than ever. This article breaks down a practical and simple guide in 5 steps, based on security best practices, so you can shield your accounts, secure your connection, and automate the cleanup of your digital footprint.
Step 1: The Fundamental Defense: Change Your Passwords Regularly
The first line of defense is a strong password, but its effectiveness decreases over time. Under no circumstances is it recommended to reuse the same password for multiple websites. Cybercriminals test passwords they get from sites you don’t care about, and test them on sites you are interested in.
- Why is it vital? On a daily basis, new compromised databases fall into the hands of hackers. If you use an old password, you run the risk of that information being used to access your accounts or, worse, to attack you personally in the future.
- Recommendation: Get in the habit of changing the passwords for your key services every 3 to 6 months. Use long and complex combinations, preferably generated by a password manager.
Step 2: Automate Your Fingerprint Cleaning
Not everything is what you do today; it’s also what you stopped doing months or years ago. Setting up automatic data deletion is a proactive way to manage your history.
- Immediate action: Set up auto-delete of your data so that old and unused entries are regularly deleted.
- Tip: Many large platforms (like Google) offer activity monitoring tools where you can set data retention periods.
Google has a website to check our digital footprint that is accessed from https://myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy. From HISTORY SETTINGS you can see your Google Account activity on the web, your timeline and your YouTube history. In the chronology you can decide whether to delete the information after x months.
Step 3: The Privacy Wall: Use a VPN
When you’re browsing on public Wi-Fi networks (airports, coffee shops), your connection is vulnerable. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure tunnel that will allow you to browse the internet through a third-party service.
- What does a VPN do? It encrypts your internet traffic, hiding your real IP address and location, ensuring private and secure browsing, especially in public environments.
- Recommended Options:
- Reliable Free Version: ProtonVPN
- Premium Paid Version: NordVPN
Step 4: The Unbeatable Duo: Extreme Private Sailing
To take your privacy to the highest level, combine your VPN with a search engine that respects your anonymity.
- The Ultimate Combination: Use your VPN in conjunction with DuckDuckGo.
- Benefit of DuckDuckGo: This search engine does not track your history or store your information, ensuring that your searches are truly private and not used for targeted advertising.
Step 5: Ongoing Monitoring of Existing Accounts
Security is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process of monitoring and updating.
- Review Settings: Periodically review the privacy settings of your main social networks and services. Make sure that only the information you want is public.
- Turn on Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): This extra layer of security is essential to prevent unauthorized access, even if your password is stolen.
Conclusion
Protecting your digital privacy requires a combination of best practices (password change), technological tools (VPN and DuckDuckGo), and automation (self-deletion of data). Implement these 5 steps today to take control of your digital footprint and browse with greater peace of mind
