Secure Your Internet Privacy With This Guide
There's a lot of talk these days about internet privacy and online security. With over ii billion people accessing the internet on a regular basis, it'southward near time you started protecting yourself! Then, I figured I'd put together a little guide to some of the most popular security precautions and privacy measures available to you online. In this like shooting fish in a barrel-to-follow guide I'll show you how to make your internet life more than secure, starting right now.
Two-Factor Hallmark
What it is: Two-factor authentication is available with a large number of popular sites and services. In a nutshell, information technology's a elementary characteristic that prompts you for a password and then a brusk security lawmaking that is sent to your phone. Here's an example: If you're logging into your Gmail account you'd need to type in your username and password—then yous'd exist logged in. With two-factor authentication, you'd need to look for Google to send you a text bulletin with a short code, and and so type that in before you could access your account on a new motorcar.
Hither'due south a guide on how to setup 2-factor authentication for Facebook. Here'due south one for Twitter.
Time to set upwardly: Well-nigh 15 minutes
Boosted info: I know what you're thinking: "This is way more annoying than it should be!" Truth be told, after you've set up your device and configured 2-factor authentication with the online services you utilise, it takes just an extra xv-20 seconds to login and everything else works in the groundwork.
Security rating: 2-cistron authentication is incredibly secure because it requires at least ii devices to get into your account (your phone and your laptop). It's plain still possible for someone to get into your account, but it'southward less probable due to the extra security layer. Passwords follow u.s. all over the cyberspace and everyone can do good from the actress security available by implementing 2-gene authentication on your web accounts.
Encrypt Your E-mail
What information technology is: This is easy to do and understand. Encrypting your email is nothing more than turning your emails into gibberish code that can only exist deciphered with a key. You can then send this coded e-mail to your recipient, who can only read it if they have the same key.
If you're a Gmail user, Mailvelope is the best way to encrypt your emails. It's a Chrome and Firefox extension that is quick and easy to set up.
Time to fix up: About 5 minutes
Boosted info: Something yous should know about email encryption is that it doesn't work unless y'all and your recipient both take the encryption software. That's because when you send someone an encrypted email, they tin't read information technology unless they're able to decrypt information technology with the primal at their end.
In general, it's non worth the hassle to encrypt your email unless you're sending sensitive information. If you need to ship someone a social security number, bank account details or credit card information, you'll want to encrypt those emails.
Security rating: Email encryption is, for the about role, a safe and secure style to communicate. This volition not keep you safe from government/NSA snooping, but it will protect yous from people hacking and reading your e-mail.
For non-web-based email encryption you should await into the Enigmail Project.
Set Up A Countersign Manager
http://www.youtube.com/watch?5=RM0fzHxMASQ
What information technology is: A countersign manager does pretty much what yous'd think it would do: manage your passwords. Basically, it locks all of your website passwords behind a unmarried main password that just you know. This is crawly because it means you only take to remember a single password.
Time to set up: xxx minutes
Boosted info: In that location are a adept number of password managers bachelor online. Personally, I recommend LastPass, which can be a bit confusing to new users but it works well. Signing upward for a password is only one-half that boxing. You'll so have to get back into all of your accounts and fix new passwords, which can exist time consuming. Also, it'southward of import to note that if you lot employ multiple computers, you'll need to install the password director on all your systems. It would be terrible to end upwards locking yourself out of all of those online services and accounts you use.
Security rating: Countersign managers like LastPass are very secure but still require strong passwords. The good news is that you tin make your account passwords as strong every bit y'all'd like without having to call back them all. If you're willing to go through the setup, I highly recommend yous start using a password manager.
Hide Your Browsing Activity
What it is: If you haven't heard about everything going on with the NSA watching our every move online, you're living under a rock! Simply it's not only the NSA you have to worry about. Advertisers and even your ISP are watching what you do online. Hiding your browsing action ensures that no one else can see what you lot're doing online. At that place'southward an like shooting fish in a barrel to install browser extension called Disconnect that works relatively well.
Time to set up: v minutes
Security rating: Browser extensions are good but they don't mask everything, and then if you desire true security you should consider using a Virtual Individual Network (VPN).
Encrypt Your Online Chat
What it is: Much like you'd want to encrypt sensitive data within emails, information technology's as well a good thought to encrypt your conversation conversations, particularly when sharing sensitive information with friends online. Thank you to an encryption feature called "Off-the-Record Messaging" you lot can rest assured knowing your chat conversations are secure.
Time to ready upwards: Almost 1 minute.
Additional info: If you lot're a Windows user you lot'll desire to apply the conversation applet called Pidgin. If y'all're a Mac OSX user you'll desire to use Adium. If you're not currently using these services yous should consider starting now. Basically, these allow yous to IM all your friends across all the various chat networks in i place.
"Off-the-Tape Messaging" is built into Adium. Turning it on takes simply a few mouse clicks.
Pidgin users will want to follow this piece of cake guide to setup enable encrypted chatting.
Security rating: To actually have an encrypted chat conversation the person your chatting with will also demand Adium or Pidgin installed, only that'south not terribly difficult to have someone do. In general, off-the-record chatting is super secure and is very difficult to crack.
Encrypt And Secure Your Backups
What it is: These days we're storing a lot of information in the cloud, and if y'all'rie using services like Dropbox, ZipCloud, or CrashPlan, you'll want to make sure that your personal information is individual and secure.
Time to prepare: About fifteen minutes.
Additional info:Encryption for these services is relatively piece of cake to fix. If you're using CrashPlan this can be done automatically for you lot. If you're using a service like Dropbox you should employ a service similar SafeMonk, which encrypts your files earlier you upload them. If you're like me and don't take a ton of data that yous demand to encrypt (I accept some medical, financial, and insurance files) you can use TrueCrypt. The downside to TrueCrypt is that in one case you lot've encrypted your files, you're not able to access them from other computers.
Security rating: In general, you'll exist very secure with these forms of backup security, but you lot could also switch from unsecured cloud hosting services, like Dropbox, to companies like Tresorit and SpiderOak. If you're storing a lot of sensitive information in the cloud y'all may desire to consider switching to one of these more secure services.
Conclusion
Spend a few extra hours protecting yourself online. After the initial legwork, your information will exist substantially more secure. It's well worth the effort, so invest the time and protect yourself before it'due south too late.
Source: https://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/secure-your-internet-privacy-with-this-guide.html
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