Protection of Personal Data on the Internet | Total Security

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Protection of Personal Data on the Internet | Total Security


Your personal information is stored on the Internet and is available to everyone, but it can be taken under control.


In this article, we will tell you why you need to protect your personal data on the Internet, how this information is collected and how to minimize its collection.


It's not about personal photographs. Publishing them online is not the smartest decision. We're talking about personal information. Advertisers and others use them to show you targeted ads. More importantly, they are also used by cybercriminals. They use them to send phishing emails, carry out identity thefts and engage in banking fraud on your behalf.


How Your Data Is Used and Why It Should Be Protected

Personal and confidential information usually includes information such as bank card numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, date of birth, SNILS, etc. This information also includes behavioural data (for example, the websites visited and the social networks used). This information tells them a lot more about you than you might imagine.


This Is in Part Due to the Growing Capabilities of Artificial Intelligence.


AI is used in popular platforms to develop algorithms for determining what products you might be interested in and what ads should be shown to you. A vivid example of the capabilities and accuracy of intelligent algorithms was shown by a study conducted by the University of Cambridge in 2013. It was dedicated to the study of users based on the posts they liked on Facebook. After analyzing just ten Facebook Likes, the researchers were able to get to know the person better than their peers. The more such marks are analyzed, the more complete the information becomes. After examining 300 favourite publications, the algorithm already understood the researched user better than his partner or spouse. And since 2013, the algorithms have been constantly improving.


Data Collection Methods

Before considering how to protect personal data, you need to understand how it is collected. Let's look at five main methods.


1. Cookies

Cookies are small amounts of data stored by your browser on your computer when you visit websites. They come in two types: session-specific files and persistent files. Session cookies are harmless. They allow us to navigate from one section of the site to another (for example, from the product page to the checkout page) without having to log in again on each page. Session cookies are valid only during the current visit and should be automatically deleted when you log out of your account on the site or when you close your browser. 


Persistent cookies can be both useful and harmful. It all depends on what angle you look at it from. They are saved on your computer and remain on it. They are mainly used to track your browsing history. For example, if you chose a smartphone for yourself and looked for information about them on the Internet, then soon advertising of such equipment will haunt you on all sites. Sometimes it can get in the way, but it can also be useful if you are interested in such ads.


2. Creating a Browser Fingerprint

When you visit a site, its web server can send the browser a piece of JavaScript that the browser executes locally. This JavaScript code can collect data about the characteristics of the browser and operating system (for example, User-agent, list of installed extensions, browser type and name, time zone, screen resolution, ad blocking, list of available fonts, WebGL rendering data, computer hardware, and more. friend). JavaScript code creates a hash of the collected data (we call it the "browser fingerprint") and sends it to the site's web server, where it is usually stored in a database along with other information.


Provided that the fingerprint is unique to you, or at least a very small group of users of this site, you can be traced back to you. Your activity can also be tracked when you navigate between sites using the same fingerprint list. Since the site does not need to create and store cookies in the browser, browser fingerprints are also called cookieless monsters (a reference to the Sesame Street character). This means that even if your browser does not allow cookies, you will not be able to prevent tracking.


Also, the website's web server can read and analyze your IP address. With a VPN, you can hide your actual IP address, but that only changes a small fraction of the data that makes up your browser fingerprint. In other words, your actions can still be tracked seamlessly.


3. Malicious Applications

Malicious (at least suspicious) applications remain the main vehicle for tracking personal data. They are sometimes referred to as Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUP). These programs are installed with the user's consent, but usually hide some of their unpleasant features. For example, a pop-up ad blocker app might itself install adware on your system. Other apps can steal contact data, track visited sites and chats, and even eavesdrop on phone calls.


4. Legal Fee

There is another category of sites where we fully accept responsibility for the transfer of personal information, understanding its need. An excellent example of such a situation is applying for a job. In doing so, we voluntarily provide a variety of personal information. Another example is the purchase of goods on the Internet when we indicate the details of bank cards. The same applies to hotel room reservations, especially if we have to disclose our passport details.


5. Theft

Not a week goes by without news of another major data breach. It has become commonplace. Your personal data is protected in the same way as the infrastructure of the organization in which it is stored. Whoever stole the US Human Resources Administration database in 2015 now has access to the personal data of more than 20 million former, current, and potential US government employees. The thief of the Marriott hotel database in 2018 obtained personal information from hundreds of millions of guests, including data from several million passports.


Minimize the Collection of Personal Data

In the modern world, it is impossible to avoid getting your personal data on the Internet. But we can take some steps to keep their collection to a minimum.


First, you should always use strong and unique passwords when creating online accounts.


If the site properly hashes (encrypts) the password, then in the event of data theft, it will be more difficult for attackers to crack it, and the password will be useless for them. Also, if there is a leak on the site you were using, you should immediately change the password.


Limit the Use of Cookies and Prints.


In both cases, a browser is used, so which browser you are using is important. Most browsers have settings that allow you to manage cookies. Use them to remove all third party, persistent and tracking cookies. Stopping the creation of fingerprints is more difficult, so the choice of the browser is important here. Several companies provide secure browsers that are worth considering as an alternative. For example, our company offers  Avast Secure Browser specifically designed for privacy and security. This browser does not maintain any search or browsing history.


It provides easy controls to hide your identity with state-of-the-art anti-tracking technology and includes a built-in adblocker.


Remove Malicious Applications. 


In particular, potentially dangerous applications should be avoided. The main rule is to download programs only from reliable sources, for example, from the sites of developers you know well or from the official app store. But even this does not guarantee complete protection against malicious applications. You will need a good antivirus product that can detect and remove potentially dangerous programs. For example, Avast Free Antivirus.


Do Not Rush to Voluntarily Share Data. 


It is almost impossible to control the legitimate collection of data. It should be viewed as a deal. Make sure the terms are right for you. Consider: Is Facebook important enough for you to pay with your privacy for its services? Is the information requested by the job application form on the Internet really necessary for employment? If you are not satisfied with the "terms" of the agreement, cancel it or find another way to share your information.


Use Protection on Your Devices. 


The risk of data theft directly from a computer or mobile phone can be reduced by using effective security measures. Security tools such as Secure Browser, Mobile Security, and antivirus software are excellent at blocking threats.


Check Regularly to See if You Are a Victim of a Hack. 


Fear that your data might have been stolen from the web services you use? It is almost impossible to influence this. If you send your data online, sooner or later it can be stolen. We recommend that you disclose as little personal information as possible and regularly check whether the breach has affected your information. There are various tools for this, such as Avast Hack Check. 


A Key Rule of Personal Data Protection

Remember: you should leave as little information as possible on the Internet that allows you to identify your identity to avoid their theft and unauthorized use, and also always take measures to protect yourself.

Total Security antivirus protection to your pc from viruses.

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