19 Actionable Steps to Protect Online Privacy – Part 4 of 4

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

  1. Consider not using Google

This goes not only for the main Google search engine but also all of the other tools - Google Analytics, Gmail, Google Apps, Google Drive, etc.

Due to its huge network and portfolio of tools, Google knows basically everything about you there is to know. Whether you're comfortable with this from an online privacy point of view is up to you.

When it comes to the main search engine, DuckDuckGo is an alternative worth considering, or even Bing (but then we're back in camp Microsoft).

As for things like Gmail and Google Drive, there are multiple viable solutions on the web. For example, SpiderOak is an interesting alternative to Google Drive and Dropbox that even has Edward Snowden's approval.

  1. Probably delete Facebook from your phone

There have been multiple stories appearing lately describing Facebook's alleged "in the background listening" practices. Some people are reporting concerns related to the Facebook app listening on to the conversations they're having over the phone and then suggesting ads based on the things mentioned in those conversations.

In all likelihood, or at least we'd like to believe so, this is not entirely plausible - and Facebook obviously denies. However, getting rid of the Facebook app from your phone surely won't hurt your overall online privacy.

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19 Actionable Steps to Protect Online Privacy – Part 3 of 4

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

File shredder by Dr. CleanerOnline privacy is a topic that grows in importance every single year. With more and more web services, connected apps, and even home assistant devices that are gaining in popularity, it's now more crucial than ever to understand what the dangers to your online privacy are and how to protect it consciously.

This online privacy guide is all about that.

Here are 19 actionable steps to help you remain anonymous on the web and protect your online privacy. No sophisticated computer knowledge required.

  1. Update to a newer mobile device

It seems that every year companies like Apple, Samsung, Google try to convince us to buy the latest smartphone and toss our old ones away. Naturally, we resist. But we can't resist forever. At least not if we don't want our online privacy to take a hit.

What we need to remember is that modern mobile devices are computers. Just like your desktop PC or Mac, but only slightly less powerful. Therefore, they're also prone to various security threats, and just like any other device, they require constant updates to stay secure.

New devices are being updated constantly, so that's no problem. Older ones, not so much.

For example, Nexus 7 - a device that's still relatively popular (you can buy them on eBay right now) stopped getting security patches after June 2015. This means that whoever's using it has been left on their own and exposed to new security threats for more than two years now.

Whether we like it or not, at some point, a new device is unavoidable. Continue reading

19 Actionable Steps to Protect Online Privacy – Part 2 of 4

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

what a VPN does for your online privacy

Online privacy is a topic that grows in importance every single year. With more and more web services, connected apps, and even home assistant devices that are gaining in popularity, it's now more crucial than ever to understand what the dangers to your online privacy are and how to protect it consciously.

This online privacy guide is all about that.

Here are 19 actionable steps to help you remain anonymous on the web and protect your online privacy. No sophisticated computer knowledge required. Continue reading

19 Actionable Steps to Protect Online Privacy – Part 1 of 4

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Online privacy is a topic that grows in importance every single year. With more and more web services, connected apps, and even home assistant devices that are gaining in popularity, this online privacy guide is all about that.

Here are the first of 19 actionable steps to help you remain anonymous on the web and protect your online privacy.

No sophisticated computer knowledge required.

1. Use the privacy/incognito mode

All current versions of web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Opera come with a privacy mode.

For example, in Chrome, if you press CMD+SHIFT+N (Mac) or CTRL+SHIFT+N (Win), you will open a new tab in privacy mode. In that mode, the browser doesn't store any data at all from the current session. This means no web history, no web cache, no cookies, nothing at all.

Use this mode whenever doing anything that you'd prefer remain private and not able to be retrieved at a later date on the device that you're using.

However! Let's make it clear that privacy modes don't make the connection more secure in any way. They just make it private in relation to your own device - meaning, they make it private on your end only.

(Privacy modes are also available in mobile browsers.) Continue reading