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Online Security: 10 Tips to Stay Secure

Published: Technology

This post is about staying secure online. With all the threat actors out there, it's important to understand the best ways to keep your information and access safe. This post will cover some of the best practices for staying secure online.

#1 Use Strong, Unique Passwords

Utlize complex passwords that include a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable information like birthdates or common words. Use a different password for each account to minimize the impact of a potential breach. That leads us to the next point - use a password manager (see #2).

#2 Password Manager

Probably the number one way to make sure all of your online accounts stay secure is to use a password manager. A password manager is a software application that stores all of your passwords for various account. Most password managers allow the user to generate secure passwords (made of random letters, numbers, and symbols) that are unique to each account. This way, if one of your passwords is compromised, the rest of your accounts are still safe. Re-using passwords is one of the biggest security risk missteps that people make regularly. Almost all users have tens of, if not hundreds of, accounts that they need to come up with passwords for. It's very easy to use the same password (or slight variations of one password - still not a good practice) for all of their online accounts. This is a huge security risk.

Why is it such a risk? Well, you have probably heard about these "password dumps" that are posted online. These are basically aggregated lists of usernames (many times, your email address) and passwords that have been compromised. If you are using the same password (or a variation of one) on multiple accounts, then if one of those accounts is compromised, then any account that is using that same password or a close variation of it is also compromised.

#3 Two Factor Authentication

Two factor authentication (2FA) is a security measure that requires two forms of authentication to verify a user's identity. This is a great way to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. Most password managers will allow you to enable 2FA for your accounts. This is a great way to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. Though many people don't realize that SMS text messages can be intercepted, so despite this being better than nothing, it's not quite as secure as using an authenticator app, or some form of biometric authentication (such as a fingerprint or facial recognition).

#4 Use a VPN

Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a great way to add an extra layer of security to your online activities. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a secure server. This makes it much more difficult for anyone to intercept your data. There are many free and paid VPN services available, so you can find one that fits your needs. Just be aware that there are free VPNs that are not as secure as they claim to be with some of them potentially being used to actually spy on you. Do your research and make sure you're using a reputable VPN service. VPNs are a great way to obscure your location by not allowing your actual IP address to be seen. This helps to prevent people from tracking your online activities. There are a myriad of reasons why you might want to use a VPN. Some of the most common reasons are:

#5 Use a Privacy-Focused Browser

Browsers such as Brave, DuckDuckGo, and Tor Browser are great options for staying private online. These browsers are designed to protect your privacy and security. They often have built-in features that help to prevent tracking and other malicious activities. Every once in a while you'll find that some of the privacy features may potentially break some websites, but that's the trade-off you make for privacy. Many block trackers, and some even have built-in ad-blockers.

#6 Use a Privacy-Focused Search Engine

A privacy-focused search engine is a search engine that is designed to protect your privacy. These search engines do not track your online activities or sell your data to third parties. Some of the most popular privacy-focused search engines include DuckDuckGo, StartPage, and Brave Search.

#7 Use a Privacy-Focused Email Provider

Email is a great way to communicate with others, but it's also a great way for threat actors to track your online activities. That's why it's important to use a privacy-focused email provider. There are many privacy-focused email providers available, such as ProtonMail, Tutanota, and Mailfence. These providers offer a variety of features that help to protect your privacy, such as end-to-end encryption and the ability to create disposable email addresses. Just remember, that many times if a service is free (i.e. Gmail), then it's likely that they're using your data to make money in some way - whether it be through advertising, selling your data, or some other means.

#8 Use a Privacy-Focused Browser Extension

Browser extensions are a great way to add extra security and privacy to your browser. There are many privacy-focused browser extensions available, such as uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger, and HTTPS Everywhere. These extensions help to block trackers, ads, and other malicious activities.

#9 Use Privacy-Focused AI GPTs

ChatGPT might seem like a great way to get answers to your questions, but it's important to be aware of the potential risks. ChatGPT is a language model that is trained on a large corpus of text data. This means that it can generate text that is similar to what you might type. However, there are options to using ChatGPT that can help to protect your privacy. One option is to use a privacy-focused AI GPTs. A fantastic example of this is the Venice.ai platform. This platform is designed to protect your privacy by using a variety of techniques to obfuscate your data. This includes techniques such as not saving your data on a server, not using the information you input to help train the models (thus potentially exposing sensitive information to others who use the service).

#10 Limit Personal Information Shared Online

When you're online, it's important to be aware of the information you're sharing. This includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. You should also be careful about what you post on social media. Be aware that even if you delete something from your social media account, it may still be available online.

In Conclusion

Don't do stupid stuff. Be aware of what you're doing online and take steps to protect your privacy. Hackers are always looking for new ways to steal your data, and money, so you really can't be too careful and understand the basic steps you can take to protect yourself.