How to protect your privacy online

The internet is a wonderful tool for online business, banking, and communication, but one of its drawbacks is the lack of privacy. There are people who take advantage of this to prey on your personal life. Here are some tips that will help you enjoy staying online while protecting your privacy:

1. Do not give your phone number, credit card details, and home address carelessly as this makes you vulnerable to fraudsters. Avoid befriending people that you do not know. If a website requires you to give your personal information, do not give it.

2. Create secure passwords. A sophisticated password is very difficult to crack, offering protection for your accounts and email addresses. When filling forms on websites and sending messages, do not use your main email address, limit it to the sites and individuals you trust.

3. Monitor cookies for any saved information. Cookies can be customized to store your username and passwords so that you do not have to log in each time you access a particular site. Regularly delete any unwanted cookies.

4. Make your security questions difficult to figure out. Just like the password, these questions provide a high level of privacy for your accounts.

5. Ignore spam messages, web promos and money offers. These contain enticing content which may trick you into providing your personal information.

If you follow these tips, be assured that the risk involved with using the internet will be minimized to some extent.