Data Privacy Day 2019: Ten ways to keep your data more private

The Internet has blurred the lines between real world and the virtual one. Technology is barrelling into our hands through smartphones at an unbelievable pace. While this is good for productivity and progress, it makes it easy for thieves to do their job.

The anonymity and location independence that comes with the Internet muddles the moral character of even the most ethical person. You can’t assume your phone and the information it stores is safe from the malicious intentions of another person.

Data Privacy Day (DPD), is an international effort held annually on January 28 in order to help foster awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. The first line of defence in protecting your data is you. Learn about new threats, stay current and take the necessary precautions to keep your data safe.

Here are ten tips that will give you some insight into keeping your devices safe:

1. Do not save your passwords.
   Never save passwords on your device. Yes, it’s convenient. Yes, it’s time saving. If you need to safely store passwords, look into a secure password manager. Criminals are getting smarter and need just one chink in the armour to get into the system to rob you blind.
   

2. Be conscious of privacy settings.
   Most apps offer privacy settings for users. This gives you the freedom to know how much and what kind of information is shared. Always choose the least amount of data sharing.

3. Get reliable security for your phone.
   Phones need as much protection as any other device, if not more. There are many security providers that offer free services. These can be risky as they can mine data from your phone. Always go for a well-known service provider. Norton Mobile Security has a range of features that can protect your phone from most threats.
   

4. Back-up your data.
   Backing-up data is often over looked. But it is a very important aspect of data protection. Ransomware is a type of attack where hackers hold your data hostage for a ransom. There are cloud-based services that offer backup. Or you can opt for Norton Security Premium, which includes backup capabilities.

5. Anti-theft your device.
   If your device is lost or stolen, tracking apps will help you find it. But how do you protect your confidential data before it gets into the wrong hands? Norton Mobile Security allows you to perform a “factory reset” to completely erase your lost/stolen Android device. This includes your confidential contact lists, text messages, call history, browser history, bookmarks and any other personal data.
   

6. Be careful what you do with your phone.
   While being cautious with what you do with you phone is always recommended, it can get tiresome. With the vast amount of malware, Trojans and worms finding sneaky ways to get into your device, it is better to stay protected with a security system that does the work for you. App Advisor is a special feature provided by Norton Mobile Security. It prompts privacy risks, intrusive behaviour of apps, excessive battery drainage and data plan usage. It also has call/sms blocking, anti-theft, contacts backup and protects your mobile phone form malware.
   

7. Watch out for Bluetooth vulnerabilities.
   Bluetooth technology offers incredible convenience. It also opens doors for security weaknesses. Make sure you turn off your Bluetooth when you are not using it. While there are options to place your Bluetooth activity in an invisible or undetectable mode, there are some malicious apps that can change that mode and expose your device to threats. That’s one more reason to have a security system in place.

8. Keep your operating system up to date.
   “A hindrance” is what many people call operating system updates. They are annoying and sometimes time consuming but they are very important. Besides improving the functionality of the device, updates and patches contain critical security updates. Make it a point to update as soon as possible.

9. Beware of public Wi-Fi.
   Public Wi-Fi can be found in popular public places like airports, cafes, shopping centres, restaurants, and hotels — and it allows you to access the Internet for free. The problem with public Wi-Fi is that there are a tremendous number of risks that go along with these networks.

   The best way to know your information is safer while using public Wi-Fi is to use a virtual private network (VPN), like Norton Secure VPN, when surfing on your PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet.

10. Close down any online service that you no longer use. There are many social networks that come and go. If you have signed up for any of these, they may have a lot of your personal information that you willingly gave. But eventually when these services disappear, they take with them your information that can be sold as an asset.