Online privacy is
something everyone needs to worry about when using the Internet. In just about
everything electronic or online, users need to understand the basic purposes
behind privacy settings because of how unsafe the Internet can be without
them. For users of all ages, the main reason privacy settings are encouraged
for online usage is to prevent hackers from stealing personal information or
causing damage to a user’s devices. Whether a user becomes the victim of
identity theft fraud or possibly something that puts their physical safety at
risk, online privacy can mean different things to different people.
A
good way to stay safe online is to have the most current and up-to-date
security software programs. Protecting and securing all of your devices and
online accounts will decrease a user’s risk of being hacked. Enabling firewalls
also adds to your protection from malware, viruses, and hackers. Even being
sure to create good, hard to guess passwords by making them long and unique by
using lots of characters, can help add to the security of a user’s privacy.
On most devices, parental
controls can be installed to create ways to monitor and/or limit a device’s
usage. It is normally a good idea to have parental controls on all the devices
for kids and/or teens, and yet kids are considered more technologically savvy
than parents. So as parental controls can vary between app and music downloads
to website access, it is difficult to expect parental controls to catch everything
that might challenge a young user’s privacy. Unfortunately the increase
in device usage by younger ages means all users need to know enough about
online privacy to take proper precautions or parents need to limit device
access.
All users need use caution when using
the Internet and even apps, as they use the Internet in different ways like:
updates, pictures, videos, in-app purchases, and e-mail providers. Users should
never open e-mails from an unknown source in case there is a virus hidden
inside of it. Because no matter how safe a website says it is, the site can still
be hacked into or seen by others.
Nothing that a person could ever want to be private should ever be put
on or sent through the Internet, because hackers can always find a way to trace
back the steps of where it came from.
Most websites use cookies, so that when
a user visits a website it deposits data about that visit onto your computer. Cookies may also contain information such as login or registration identification,
user preferences, online "shopping cart" information, and so on. However,
there are some cookies, called third-party cookies that connect data
about the user to an advertising clearinghouse, which in turn shares that data
with other online marketers. These third-party cookies include "tracking
cookies" which use the user’s online history to deliver other ads.
So in general, privacy
settings can help reduce malware and viruses from accessing a user’s device,
but those settings can only work as well as the user that sets it up allows.
Online Privacy is also about being cautious and protective of your property and
information when being online or accessing the Internet.
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