From your finances and health to photos of your children and passwords to your online accounts – our smartphones and laptops are the gateway to our most private, personal information.
With an online world full of spammers, scammers and identity thieves, you want to make sure that you are protecting your privacy.
To help you do this, we are sharing nine tips from TCL to keep you and your family safe while you’re online:
Think before you share: Be careful about which personal information you disclose on your social media accounts. Avoid sharing personal identifiable information such as your home address, phone number or ID number.
Double up your login security: Most apps and sites let you use two-factor authentication as an extra layer of security. In addition to using your username and password, you will sign in with a second form of authentication, such as a fingerprint or PIN sent to your phone.
Manage your passwords: Ideally, you need strong and different passwords for every account you use. But remembering them all is a challenge. A password manager can help you generate and secure strong, unique passwords for all of your online accounts.
Don’t skip the updates: Download the latest software updates for applications and operating systems. They often include security patches and bug fixes that address security holes in your software.
Don’t get hooked by a phishing scam: Phishing scammers try to trick you into disclosing personal info like your password or credit card details. Be careful about emails that ask for personal information or direct you to a website that looks suspicious.
Try a privacy-friendly search engine: If you really care about your privacy, a privacy-centred browser like Tor, DuckDuckGo, Brave or Firefox Focus can offer you further layers of protection for your personal data. They block common web trackers, so advertisers can’t follow you around the web.
Consider using a VPN app: A “virtual private network” lets you use the internet while keeping your IP address and location private. Popular VPN apps for Android include NordVPN and ExpressVPN.
Review app permissions: Many apps and websites ask for access to your personal information and location. Read the permissions carefully and only allow access to the information the app needs to function.
Use privacy settings on social media: Privacy settings on most of your social media accounts allow you to filter which posts and profile information you share publicly as well as with different friends and followers. Use them to share content with only those you trust.
