Cookie 3 3 – Protect Your Online Privacy

Oct. 15, 2018

• Cookie 3 3 – Protect Your Online Privacy Screens
• Cookie 3 3 – Protect Your Online Privacy Concerns

Cookies can be troublesome if you don't know how to clear or delete cookies. The purpose of the computer cookie is to help the website keep track of your visits and activity. A setting that controls or limits third-party and tracking cookies can help protect your privacy online. Information Google collects. We want you to understand the types of information we collect as you use our services. We collect information to provide better services to all our users — from figuring out basic stuff like which language you speak, to more complex things like which ads you'll find most useful, the people who matter most to you online, or which YouTube videos you might like.

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Your 'digital footprint' includes all traces of your online activity, including your comments on news articles, posts on social media, and records of your online purchases.

When you know the boundaries of your digital footprint and take steps to contain it, you can help protect your identity and your reputation.

What is a digital footprint?

Every time you post something online, share content, or even when a website collects your information by installing cookies on your device, you are creating a digital trail. This includes your IP address, your login details, and other personal information that you reveal online. Information that is posted about you also gets added to your data trail.

What your digital footprint can say about you

It's a good idea to have a positive digital footprint. This information is your digital identity, and it could show up when someone searches for your name online.

Your online identity can influence different aspects of your life. For example, employers, schools, colleges, and law enforcement officials could use your digital footprint as a basis for character assessment.

Types of digital footprints

Digital footprints can be classified into two broad categories — active and passive footprints — which depends on how your information is acquired.

Active digital footprints

Active digital footprints consist of the data you leave when you make deliberate choices on the internet. For instance, posts you make to your social media channels are a form of active footprint. When you are logged into a project management or similar site, changes you make that are connected to your login name are also part of your active footprint.

Here are a few examples of active digital footprints.

1. Posting on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and other social media platforms
2. Filling out online forms, such as when signing up to receive emails or texts
3. Agreeing to install cookies on your devices when prompted by the browser

Lightcapture 1 0 7. Passive digital footprints

Passive digital footprints are those you leave behind without intending to or, in some cases, without knowing it.

For instance, websites that collect information about how many times you've visited recently are adding to your digital footprint in a passive fashion. That's because you don't choose to give them this data. They collect it when a device at your IP address connects with their website. This is a hidden process, and you may not realize it is happening at all.

Here are three examples of passive digital footprints.

1. Websites that install cookies in your device without disclosing it to you
2. Apps and websites that use geolocation to pinpoint your location
3. Social media news channels and advertisers that use your likes, shares, and comments to profile you and to serve up advertisements based on your interests

Both active and passive footprints can be tracked and observed in multiple ways and by multiple sources.

6 steps for protecting your digital footprint

Organizations like the Family Online Safety Institute recommend tracking your digital footprint and taking steps to control it. Recommended steps include:

1. Enter your name into several search engines.

Use multiple search engines to perform a search for your first and last name. If you've recently changed your name, look up both your prior name and your current one. Try the common misspellings as well.

Review the first two pages of results. Are they positive? Do they show you in a professional and respectable light? If anything comes up that you don't like, ask the site administrator to take it down.

Setting up Google Alerts is one way to keep an eye on your name. Every time it is mentioned somewhere you will get a notification. If you have a common name, it may help to attach keywords to your search, such as your location or activities that may associate your name with a Google alert.

Real estate websites and whitepages.com may have more information about you than you might want disclosed. Personal information like your phone number, address, and age tend to show up. Get in touch with the websites and have that information removed.

2. Double-check your privacy settings, but don't trust them.

Privacy settings on social media allow you to control who sees your posts on your social media streams. Spend some time getting to know these settings so you can use them fully.

For example, Facebook allows you not only to limit posts merely to friends, but also to make customized lists of people who can see certain posts. But don't assume that privacy settings will protect you anywhere but on the social media site that uses them. For instance, recently New York's highest court ruled, regarding private Facebook posts, 'even private materials may be subject to discovery if they are relevant.' In this context, 'subject to discovery' simply means that the opposing party has a right to see the material at issue.

You can access Facebook's privacy settings here.

3. Create strong, memorable passwords.

Any time you need a password, create one that uses a combination of at least ten numbers, symbols, and upper- and lowercase letters. Avoid using common words, as password cracking tools can use every word in the dictionary to try to access your password. Make it a password that's easy for you to remember, but that would be hard for someone else to guess. Avoid the most popular choices, like birthdates and anniversaries, or the names of your spouse, children, or pets.

If remembering unique passwords for different websites is hard, then a password manager may come in handy for you. A password manager creates unique and complex passwords for all your favorite websites. Norton Identity Safe is one such reliable password manager.

4. Keep all your software up to date.

Many viruses and malware programs are specifically designed to mine your digital footprint, and they are constantly being updated. To help protect yourself, make sure that your antivirus software and your other software programs are up to date. Older software can be more vulnerable to attack by hackers.

Outdated software could house a wealth of digital footprints. Without the latest updates, cybercriminals could gain access to this information.

5. Review your mobile use. If you don't need it, delete it.

Set a password or lock pattern on your mobile device. That way, your device can't be accessed by other people if you accidentally lose or misplace it. From time to time, review the apps on your phone or tablet. What are their privacy or information-sharing settings? If you don't use an app anymore, delete it.

When installing an app, read the fine print. Many apps disclose what kind of information they collect and what it may be used for. Personal information like your email, location, and online activities may be mined by these apps.

6. Build your reputation through your behavior.

Contribute to your positive, professional digital footprint by posting only those things that contribute to the image of you that you want your bosses, banks, or professors to see. Skip the negative tweets, un-tag yourself from questionable Facebook photos, and keep critical comments to yourself. Instead, consider building a positive reputation by starting a blog or website that showcases your work or a hobby you're passionate about.

Keep in mind that employers, colleges, and others can look up your online identity to access your digital reputation. Keeping a clean online presence may help you in the future.

Help secure your digital footprint today

Think of your digital footprint as an extension of who you are. It is the image you create for yourself for the world to see.

Be careful about what you share, like, or comment on. Avoid sharing too much personal information online. If there is something distasteful about you online, contact the website's administrator to request that the information be taken down.

Keep track of all the accounts you have, and keep an eye on the privacy settings from time to time. Privacy settings can be changed when an app is updated by the developer. It may be impossible to erase your digital footprint, but you can work toward making it a positive one.

How a VPN can help shield your digital footprint from prying eyes

One more way to help safeguard your digital footprint is to use a virtual private network, or VPN, to protect your privacy online and even to prevent websites from installing cookies that can track your internet browsing history.

A VPN gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from your home or public internet connection.

VPNs mask your IP address so your online actions are virtually untraceable. Norton Secure VPN, a trusted VPN service, can help secure your private information and prevent websites from collecting your personal data.

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Information is the currency of the internet. Your privacy on the internet depends on your ability to control both the amount of personal information that you provide and who has access to that information.

Is your information at risk on the internet?

When performing everyday online activities, you might reveal personal information that can be used by others to invade your privacy. This can include sensitive information such as your IP address, your email address, your current physical location, or your home or work address. For example, online shopping transactions often require credit card information and your home address.

How your information gets on the internet

Businesses, governments, and other organizations gather data when you:

• Set up an online account

• Make a purchase in an online store

• Register for a contest

• Take part in a survey

• download free, software

• Surf the web

• Use apps on your computer or your mobile device

• Post photos or your status on social media

What happens to your information

Microsoft and other responsible businesses use your personal information to help improve your experience with their products and services—such as by helping you complete a transaction, remembering your preferences, or delivering personalized content and special offers.

Online transactions—such as signing up for a service or buying something—are linked to you by information such as a shipping address or credit card number. But in most cases, businesses generally collect data that does not identify you by name. Websites track which webpages you visit and the clicks of your mouse, but not you personally.

Personal details about you could be also online because you may have added your own information in resumes, chats, pages on social networking sites like Facebook, or comments in discussion groups or on Twitter.

Others may have published information about you. Friends may write about you or post photos of you and your family. Records of government agencies are searchable—for example, photos of your house and its value, your birth certificate, and copies of your signature. Church groups, clubs, and professional associations may reveal your full name, workplace, and donation history.

Why it matters if your information is online

The information that is available about you online is important for two reasons:

• Companies and recruiters may use this information, which constitutes your online reputation, to gauge your suitability for a job.

• How to write in a pdf on mac. Criminals may use data about you online to target you for phishing scams, steal your identity, and to commit other crimes. You can reduce your risk by following the advice in this article to protect your privacy online.

Online information is searchable and often permanent. Unlike data stored on paper, however, powerful internet search engines and data aggregation tools can make it easy to pull data together to build a full profile of you.

Once data is published online, it is effectively there forever and, depending on the privacy policy of the company holding the data, may ultimately be seen by anyone on the internet. Sites may archive anything you have posted in addition to data they have collected from you. Friends (or ex-friends) may give your information out, or hackers and security lapses may expose it.

Tips for sharing information online

First, read the website's privacy policy

Privacy policies—which are commonly outlined in a website's privacy statement—should clearly explain what data the website gathers about you, how it is used, shared, and secured, and how you can edit or delete it. The website's privacy statement should be readily available for you to review. For example, a link to the Microsoft Privacy Statement appears at the bottom of this and every page on support.microsoft.com. No privacy statement? Blender 32 bit zip. Take your business elsewhere.

Don't share more than you need to

• Don't post anything online that you would not want made public.

• Minimize details that identify you or your whereabouts. Sharing details about an event you're attending might seem harmless, but you're actually letting people know where you are and that you're not at home.

• Keep your account numbers, user names, and passwords secret.

• Only share your primary email address or Instant Message (IM) name with people you know or with reputable organizations. Avoid listing your address or name on internet directories and job-posting sites.

• Enter only required information—often marked with an asterisk (*)—on registration and other forms.

• Check app settings, especially on your phone. Be careful about allowing apps to access your location information, your photos, the camera, or the microphone.

Choose your friends wisely

Be mindful when adding contacts or friends on social networks. If possible, verify with the person directly if the account is authentic. If you are unsure you are adding the right person, try to limit the information that person can view on your profile.

Choose how private you want your profile or blog to be

Review your website settings and preferences to manage who can see your online profile or photos, how people can search for you, who can view your posts and make comments, and how to block unwanted access by others. Be sure to review the privacy settings for your favorite social networks to ensure you're not sharing more than you intend to.

Monitor what others post

• Search for your name on the internet using popular search engines. Search for text and images. If you find sensitive information about yourself on a website, look for contact information on the website and send a request to have your information removed.

• Regularly review what others write about you on blogs and social networking websites. Ask friends not to post photos of you or your family without your permission. If you feel uncomfortable with material such as information or photos that are posted on others' websites, ask for it to be removed.

• On Facebook and other social media, turn on the tag review option to prevent people from tagging photos that you appear in without your permission.

Guard your information

Protect your computer

Keeping your computer secure helps you avoid malware and direct hacking attempts designed to steal your personal information. For info about how to reduce your online risk, see Keep your computer secure at home and Keep your computer secure at work.

Save sensitive business for your home computer

Cookie 3 3 – Protect Your Online Privacy Screens

Avoid paying bills, banking, and shopping on a public computer, or on any device (such as a laptop or mobile phone) over a public wireless network.

Cookie 3 3 – Protect Your Online Privacy Concerns

If you're not using your own device to browse the internet, use Microsoft Edge and open only InPrivate tabs or windows. When you use InPrivate tabs or windows, your browsing data (like your history, temporary internet files, and cookies) isn't saved on the PC once you're done. However, you should still be careful not to type critical passwords on a shared computer.

Protect your data when using a shared computer

If you're browsing the internet using a shared device (like an airport kiosk or a friend's laptop), here are two important things you can do to protect your data:

• If you're using Microsoft Edge, turn on InPrivate Browsing (or use similar functionality in whichever browser you're using, such as Incognito mode in Google Chrome or Private Browsing in Mozilla Firefox).

• When you're finished browsing on the shared computer, be sure to close all browser windows before stepping away from the device.