You deserve to be as private as you wish to be. Of course, partly, this will be achieved by ensuring you configure your devices and other online platforms appropriately, for instance, so that only people you know are permitted to follow you.
The second part of this is essentially focused on good common sense. If you upload many pictures of yourself or produce content, then that’s part of your privacy you’ll be giving away, and that might be agreeable depending on what you hope to do online. Running a great blog, for instance, can benefit you as the unapologetic figurehead.
Unfortunately, you cannot guarantee privacy online, as you can never tell what’s happening at the back end of the service’s servers you use (look at how firms like LastPass have been suffering unceasing data breaches), and trying to become private after you’ve already put yourself out there can be tricky.
That said, it’s not just online privacy that counts. Considering your device privacy can help a great deal also. In this post, we’ll discuss how and why that is, and where to go from here:
Table of Contents
Use Security Features and Parental Controls
Many devices will have security features and even parental controls you can use if you have children. For instance, the security features might include biometric login points where your face is scanned or you give a fingerprint – this can be tremendously convenient, especially while on the move.
You may also be able to encrypt certain folders which can be a good way of keeping your files safe, or add locks to certain apps. For instance, your two-factor-authentication app is best kept under a PIN code, because that can potentially unveil all of the secondary codes used to double-lock your personal accounts.
In some cases, parental controls can even work for you, such as if you have a second account on your laptop for your professional work, and you hope to block off certain recreational websites to prevent you from feeling distracted.
Turn Off Or Review Automatic Features
Not all device features will be beneficial depending on your need for privacy. For example, learning how to turn off AirPlay https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-turn-off-airplay on your iPhone will allow you to prevent the possible chance of accidentally streaming something to your screen in your family room.
The same goes for other options, like sharing your location with apps, allowing search history to accrue without your consent, or letting apps track you via an advertising ID. You can use browser extensions to help block this tracking such as ‘Decentraleyes,’ or you can use companies that tend to care about privacy, like how Apple makes sure to add tracking warnings and reject requests to all the apps you might utilize.
Keep Safe While Online
Device safety is important, but online safety is perhaps even more worth your time. This is because online threats can be quite subtle if you’re not careful, and that might lead you to give away information.
Always check the SSL certificate of websites you visit to make sure they’re trusted, well-developed websites without spam or unwarranted downloads. Moreover, don’t download software unless it’s for an explicit purpose, and set up your antivirus software to detect trojans, viruses, and other programs that may not be permitted.
It’s okay if you genuinely download a program to your laptop or desktop knowing that it’s verified, you can always dismiss the false positive alert. At the very least, however, taking some time to improve your device privacy means being genuinely appreciative of the approach you’ve undertaken.
Beware of Software and Online Scams
Sometimes, online and telephone scammers work hard to try and distract you, so they can more easily take your personal information and credit card details. Of course, this is a major problem. These schemes can be simple, like making a spoof website for a mail provider and texting your number to reorder a failed delivery of your package.
They can also be more complex, such as spoofing a fake warning message that your computer is locked and you need “tech support” to remote control your computer via software, which ultimately leaves your device at the hands of those with nefarious purposes. Always be careful which websites you visit, never trust anyone presenting themselves as tech support unless you’ve contacted a verified customer support service number, and make sure to help your elderly or less tech-literate friends be aware of this too.
Anonymize The Names
If your router is named after you, if your phone’s Bluetooth connection has your full name, and if your social media is set up to recommend you to people who have your email address or phone number, then it might be that you are reachable or viewable, and you won’t wish to be.
Anonymizing the names of these devices or limiting the contact sharing features can prevent you from disclosing this information, which of course, you have no need to share if that’s not your preference or desire to do.
Update Your Devices As and When Appropriate
Software updates can get a little annoying from time to time, as it seems like they’re designed to present their installations at the most inconvenient of times. Yet it’s essential to install them in good time, because these are often replete with several bug fixes, cybersecurity addons, patches and new threat detection mechanisms to prevent you from contracting a computer virus, or dealing with a difficult and tiresome glitched system.
In some cases, these updates can also provide new features such as new lock screens, windowed tabs, and more. For that reason, it’s always best to update – but if you find issues, don’t worry, you can always roll back in the best possible way too. This will always provide you with an out if you’re not happy with how the software has changed.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily improve your device privacy, as you always deserve to be safe, and owning tech devices doesn’t change that.
