The first thing that we are going to discuss is how you can gauge and check your current online privacy. I would like for you to execute t...
- Google/Bing yourself with quotation marks. Example "Adonia Black" (Also check other tabs like images, videos, & etc.)
- Google/Bing your phone number
- Google/Bing your home address
- Google/Bing your SSN or Tax ID
- Do a image search of your most-recent shared photos
Try not to panic if you find something online that makes you feel eerie and uncomfortable. Companies like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and data brokers are usually the reason your privacy is being invaded. Luckily for us there is a way to prevent and remove the uncomfortable things found about ourselves online.
PRIVACY TIPS TO USE TODAY
1. Use different email addresses for different accounts and purposes. Set them up to forward emails to the one you use regularly. You can start with https://domains.google/ Here are a few categories to consider
- Business (banking, brands, LLC)
- Publishing (YouTube, twitch, online personality, blog, websites)
- Personal (banking, school, work, emergency contact)
- Purchases/Products (game accounts, apps, subscriptions)
3. Tape/Cover your webcams! Seriously, I'm not trying to scare you, but there are real invasive hacking software that is capable of accessing your cameras when you are not using them.
4. Use two-step verification!!!! I can't stress this enough! Just use it for all of your devices, online accounts, banking accounts and so on. Especially all of your accounts that you earn income from. This is not limited to whether you feel like your content is too small for someone to be bother. A hacker can target ANYONE!
5. Install antitracking plug-ins and extensions into your browser. AdBlock Plus and Disconnect are a couple to name. They are not just for removing ads, they prevent sites from tracking everything you do.
6. Consider getting a virtual address. The reason I did not suggest a PO box is because someone could still track your location based on where a local PO box is. You can still choose to do so but I highly recommend that its at least 30 miles away from where you live. There is more reasons I have behind a virtual address but we'll address that later in the series.
7. Look into VPNs. This will protect you while you are surfing and utilizing the network.
Avoid signing into public computers, devices, or someone's else's phone. If you have to, make sure to remove browser history, passwords, and cookie data before you no longer have access.
8. Set up a google custom alert at http://google.com/alerts/. You will get an email notification whenever your name, email address, or phone number is added to Google's searched sites. Try using exact words or phrases for your alerts. This is useful if you know you have some individuals watching your every move.
