Although the issue of data privacy has been with us for a few decades now, it wasn’t until the GDPR rules came into effect in 2018 that more people grew aware of just how their data was being used online.
Protecting data isn’t just about protecting yourself from cybercriminals – although that is a big part of it. A lot of the time, people don’t have the chance to protect themselves from cyberattacks, because preventing them is not up to them anymore. Their data has been taken, and it belongs to someone else.
Over the last two decades, the data broker market has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, with some experts projecting it could grow to $545 billion by 2028. These are entities that follow your digital footprint and take your data from you, including anything from your name, to your age, your job, your email address, and even your own personal address.
Thankfully, however, there are ways to fight them. Whether it’s protecting yourself from cyberattacks or securing your data from data brokers, these are the seven most popular ways to keep your data yours in 2023:
Remove Yourself From Google Search
What is the number one most popular search engine in the world? Google. So the first thing to do is delete your personal info from Google. While there isn’t a way to delete everything Google knows about you, you can access the “results about you” tool and make a removal request.
Just remember that each request is evaluated by Google itself, so you’ll need to go a step further if you want to delete yourself from the internet completely. More on that to follow.
Multi-Factor Authentication
Your data is stored on your internal hard drive, so it’s important to make sure that the right person is logging onto your devices to access it.
Multi-factor authentication is the best tool to ensure this. Requiring at least two separate methods to give identification – whether that’s email, text message, touch or face ID – your devices are far better protected from any invaders looking to attain your data and do damage.
Anti-Virus Protection
One of the most common ways for hackers to receive their information is by taking it directly from the source. You. They do this by sending phishing emails and malware, each of which is designed to trick you into believing they are coming from an official source.
To protect yourself, keep up to date with how hackers work, the messages you should look out for, and install antivirus software to protect your device from malware sent in a phishing attack.
VPNs
We mentioned before that, a lot of the time, your data is not even in your own hands. This is because of how easy it is for data brokers to get hold of it, and then sell it off to businesses. With small businesses being the most common target for cyberattacks, this is something that you have to stop.
One way that people are securing their internet connections is through VPNs – virtual private networks – that essentially hide the source of your connection from any trackers. They are not necessarily perfect, but they can be a good option for those on public Wi-Fi or any unsecured connections.
Opt Out Of Data Brokers
In our opinion, the best way to effectively stop data brokers is by opting out of the data broking scheme. This might sound long-winded and complicated, but there are several ways you can make the process easy and fast.
With data brokers putting everyone at a higher risk of scams and identity theft – not to mention the ethical problem of harnessing data for profit – this is a worthwhile method to cut them off and put your data back into your own hands.
Backup And Delete
Another thing you can do is look at the data that is available on your device and decide whether you need it. That’s not to say you should delete your data entirely, but it’s a good idea to regularly backup and then delete your data when you can.
After all, you can do everything in your power to stop a cyberattack, but you never know for sure if you’re going to be hacked. So it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Keep Up To Date
Lastly, the best way to secure and protect your data in 2023 is by keeping up to date with the digital world. With tactics changing all the time, and new technologies like AI now being used by hackers, new risks and rules are constantly entering the scene, so it’s important to keep up with them.
Make sure to keep a finger on the pulse of data legislation, as well as new tech that can help protect from those looking to use your data against you. Cyberattackers and data brokers will always be a threat, so keep your eye on the ball and never give them an inch.