What Is a Browser Hijacker?
A browser hijacker is a type of malware that infects an internet browser. When your Internet browser becomes infected, it’s done without your knowledge or consent so you may not even notice it’s there until it’s...
January 28th marks Data Privacy Day, an international day that recognizes data privacy and security by raising awareness and promoting privacy best practices. Today’s world is awash in data; more personal data is being collected every moment of every day than at any other time in history. The minutiae of people’s lives are being collected, collated, and quantified through everything from credit card transactions to online browsing and social media sharing.
Data Privacy Day is an opportunity for consumers to take stock of how well they understand the impact and importance of data privacy and protection. For the most part, organizations that collect, share, and process consumer data have been left to self-police, but recent years have seen a couple of significant regulatory steps to empower consumers to protect their personal data. Most notably, the EU passed the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the State of California recently enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Additionally, a number of other U.S. states are crafting legislation modeled after the CCPA.
5 Ways to Protect Your Data Privacy
At Keeper, we take your privacy very seriously. You can read about the details of our compliance with both GDPR and CCPA in our privacy policy.
In recognition of Data Privacy Day 2020, here are five ways you can keep your personal information safe and take ownership of your data privacy.
1.Don’t fill out social media “quizzes”
Online quizzes that purport to tell you which breed of dog you should own or which Walking Dead character you resemble may seem like harmless fun, but they’re actually quite risky. Sometimes, they contain malware. At the very least, they’ll ask to connect to your Facebook profile or other social media accounts, at which point the sites that own them will have access to your account data that they can use to bombard you with advertising.
2. Avoid unsecured public Wi-Fi
Not too long ago, few businesses offered their customers wireless internet access. Now, “free public Wi-Fi” is found everywhere from hotels to fast-food restaurants to doctors’ offices. Unfortunately, because these networks are secured by very weak passwords, if they require one at all, they are notoriously insecure. The best way to prevent being breached on a public Wi-Fi network is to never use one at all. If you must connect to one, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
3. Think twice about that smart home device
Smart home devices have become as popular as free public Wi-Fi, but they can be just as insecure, as Ring customers recently found out the hard way. Any device that can connect to the internet can be breached, so before purchasing a smart home device, consider its utility value. Do you really need a can opener that can connect to the internet? If you do purchase a smart device, make sure to configure it properly. Change the device’s default password before connecting it to your home network, and secure your device login with two-factor authentication (2FA) and a strong, unique password.
4. Use two-factor authentication (2FA)
Smart devices aren’t the only logins you should secure with 2FA; you should enable it on every app and account that supports it. Doing so protects you in the event that one of your passwords is stolen; without the second login factor (your phone, a key fob, a biometric), cybercriminals will be unable to access your account.
5. Use a password manager
Above all, make sure you protect your login credentials and other private information with a robust password manager such as Keeper. Keeper stores your password and other private information in a private, encrypted digital vault that you can easily access from any of your devices, making it a snap to exercise good password habits, such as using strong, unique passwords on every account. Trusted by millions of people around the world, Keeper is the leading password manager for protecting you and your family from password-related data breaches and other cyber threats.
In recognition of Data Privacy Day, Keeper is also offering consumers a 30% discount for BreachWatch® Bundle, which includes Keeper Unlimited Password Manager, BreachWatch Dark Web Monitoring and 10GB of Secure File Storage. Visit us to take advantage of this timely promotion to safeguard your data.