Whether it be for banking, checking your emails, or simply staying in touch with friends and family on social media, a large portion of our lives takes place over the internet. While you may not be keeping track of everything you do on the internet, others are. Continue reading to find out how, and what you can do to stop it.
Browsing the Internet Isn’t as Private as You Think
Almost everything you do on the internet is tracked and compiled to build an on an online profile about you and your browsing habits. This isn’t limited to just what pages you visit, but whenever you enter any sort of personal information, the websites communicate with each other, sending information back and forth to build a profile.
While this can be a little unnerving, don’t imagine somebody in front of a computer watching your every move – instead, most websites use cookies to help keep track of your visits and activity, and usually contribute to an easier internet experience.
Knowing the Details of Your Privacy
Most of the websites you visit will probably have their own privacy policy, detailing how your data is being tracked, stored, and used. You can see FixMeStick’s here. Though relatively safe, there are many examples of how this data has been hacked and exploited by others. If you have the time, reading some of these policies can provide you with a lot of privacy knowledge.
One of the more infamous cases of exploited online privacy is Facebook, which has had several run-ins dealing with its users’ privacy and information, leading to the big data breach in 2018.
It’s important to be aware of how your information is being used, and what exactly it’s being used for. If you’re concerned about protecting your data while browsing the internet, here are a couple tips to keep you secured!
Making Sure Your Social Media is Secure
A large part of your internet presence comes from your use of social media. While being on social media is a great way to reach other people and take part in different communities, the information they possess is often widely available and can be exploited by third parties!
It’s always best to check out your privacy settings online, making sure that you know exactly what information is available to the online world.
If you’re worried about what people can see online, you can always update your privacy settings – here’s how to do it for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Using a Virtual Private Network to Protect Your Privacy
Using a virtual private network (VPN) is a great way to ensure that your online activities are staying secure and unmonitored by other parties. VPN providers like NordVPN allow you to keep your data private so you’ll be the only one knowing what goes on while you surf the web.
Typically, while online, everything you do will pass through your internet service provider’s servers, allowing them to view and record your online activities and browsing history.
However, while using a VPN tunnel, your internet traffic will be redirected through a special remote server that hides your IP address and encrypts your data. The encrypted data will be unreadable to anyone who comes across it – like a scrambled code, nobody is able to track what you do on the internet.
Grab a StartMeStick for a Private Computing Device
If you’re concerned about maintaining your online privacy, the StartMeStick is probably your best bet.
The StartMeStick turns any computer into a fast, secure, and private one. Essentially, once plugged in, it runs off the StartMeStick to temporarily replace your operating system with a fast, secure, and private one.
Once you pull it out the computer goes back to how it was before – with no record of what you had done online! In addition to being a private operating system, the StartMeStick is faster and more efficient than your typical operating system, as it does away with all the junk and files from previous uses! Try it out for yourself here.
Already tried the StartMeStick? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below!
If maintaining your online privacy is important to you, consider some of the options above. You never know what is being tracked and what isn’t.
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