Downloading, talking to people who live elsewhere, paying bills, buying products, and using social media has never been easier.

It is certain that technology has revolutionized the way we behave, but besides that, it has also brought various types of threats related to the integrity and safety of users.

However, the good news is that as much as banks and social media collect a large volume of data, it is possible to make their work harder and even count on a relative control over this. Given this fact, want to find out how to maintain your privacy on the internet and prevent potential cyberattacks? Then, read on and check out the article that the CodeBlog team has prepared for you.

10 important tips for you to maintain your privacy on the internet:

1. Check the privacy settings of social networks.

If you have a profile on Facebook or Instagram set to the default settings, probably all the information you share will be visible to anyone.

Therefore, it is recommended that you carefully analyze your privacy settings on these media outlets to decide what information will become public and what should be kept private.

2. Be careful with what you share on social media!

Most social networks allow their users to check into daily locations, publish photos and videos, share thoughts, reflections, etc.

Regarding checking in, as much as this does not necessarily involve a problem, care must be taken and, if possible, only register it in busier places.

Additionally, it is also important not to disclose activities and locations you visit daily, such as the route from home to work or school, for example.

Moreover, the ideal choice for your protection would be to completely disconnect the location option on your device, which is allowed by most current smartphones.

3. Change your passwords periodically.

As simple as it may not be, there are some ways your passwords can be discovered. As an example, we recall some hidden programs that capture everything typed on a device's keyboard.

Therefore, if someone is interested in knowing your habits or discovering one of your passwords, there is a possibility that this person could gain access to your email or social network and track everything that happens without being noticed.

To avoid this major headache, the most effective solution is to change your password every three months and avoid using the same password for all the websites you access.

4. Be careful with online purchases!

As convenient as it seems, buying on the internet also requires great care. After all, this is a process that involves not only your personal data but also your money.

Therefore, when buying products, choose well-known and reputable stores. If you find an item of interest to you on an unfamiliar website, before registering and making the purchase, search for feedback, see the opinions of other buyers, and check some services specialized in disclosing a business's reputation, such as Reclame Aqui, for example.

It is also important to observe whether the chosen store offers an online privacy statement and whether the page displays a padlock symbol in the browser (which indicates that the site is encrypting the transmission of your information, ensuring an important security layer to the process).

In addition, always distrust prices and conditions that are too advantageous, and websites that do not feature a contact phone number or a physical address.

5. Avoid tracking.

When visiting a website, your browser reveals a lot about your profile and browsing history. In fact, many marketing professionals use the information collected to learn more about your spending habits, to refine and personalize the ads displayed.

To prevent this from happening, it is worth browsing the internet in Incognito Mode, which for the most part can prevent this tracking.

6. Use antivirus and updated software.

No matter how careful you are when browsing the internet, there are malwares that exploit security flaws in computers, often to capture confidential data. The only way to stop these threats is by leveraging a reliable antivirus and keeping it always updated. Furthermore, it is also essential to run constant scans and adopt tools that incorporate other solutions, such as a firewall and automatic scanning of files downloaded from the internet.

7. Keep your email address and phone number private.

When you share your email and phone number on websites and online forms, you get tons of spam in your inbox and hundreds of robocalls.

Even if you cannot avoid using this information with online services and stores, do not make it readily available to random people on social media.

An alternative to stop these situations is to create a "disposable" email address or a separate phone number for cases that require sharing your data with strangers.

8. Use messaging apps with end-to-end encryption.

Today, most messaging apps use encryption, but in many cases, it is what is called "encryption in transit," where messages are decrypted when they reach the provider and stored on their servers. In other words, in these cases, there are no great guarantees regarding the level of security. Thus, the most recommended option is to choose end-to-end encryption where not even the service provider can read your conversations.

An example of a messaging app with end-to-end encryption is WhatsApp - the most used messenger by Brazilians.

9. Maintain privacy on WiFi networks.

Generally, open WiFi networks do not encrypt traffic, meaning anyone on the same network can try to snoop on your online activities. Therefore, in these cases, it is necessary to avoid disclosing sensitive information such as logins, passwords, credit card details, among others, when using a public network.

10. Review permissions for applications.

Last but not least, you need to know that on smartphones, many apps will request permission to access contacts or files stored on the device, whether to use the camera, microphone, geolocation, among others.

Some really do not function without these permissions, but others use this information to build your profile for marketing campaigns.

Fortunately, it is possible to control which apps receive specific permissions in your device settings.

Conclusion

You do not need to be "paranoid" about your security and the confidentiality of your information on the internet, but you must consider that in the digital atmosphere, you can never be too careful. Given this, always stay informed and do not hesitate to put into practice the tips listed here.

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