How To Safeguard Your Privacy [Snooper’s Charter]

Following the news about surrounding the Snooper’s Charter, David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab commented below.

David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab:

” There are several steps cyber-savvy consumers can take to ensure their privacy online:

• Firstly, change some browser settings – e.g., disable automatic add-on installation, block suspicious websites and pop-ups, make SSL certificate checks compulsory, block third party cookies and never opt to save passwords in the browser.
• When installing new free software, untick the boxes that let the software install additional toolbars, plugins and extensions. Otherwise these can – absolutely legally – be used to collect consumer data.
• Use HTTPS sites wherever possible. HTTPS means that the traffic is encrypted. Avoid using mail providers, social networks or ecommerce sites without an HTTPS connection.
• Use two different browsers – one for primary online services (social networks, web mail, productivity tools, ecommerce), and one for web surfing, so that online activity cannot be matched to your identity.
• Use VPN traffic encryption.
• Be cautious when sharing personal information on social networks, any personal information that is shared on a social network platform is potentially vulnerable to malicious attack, for instance: spam and phishing campaigns.  Read the security and privacy settings carefully, to ensure that default settings don’t allow leakage of data.
• Consider using an encrypted email service, such as ProtonMail, to ensure that emails cannot be shared with third parties.
• Avoid linking online accounts. This will reduce the volume of data that companies can obtain and prevent the data from being aggregated.
• Setup multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security, requiring a password, username and information that only the user has access to. This is especially important for your e-mail address, since this is so often used as a username for online accounts.
• Use a strong PIN or passcode or enable the devices fingerprint scanner. Remember that this is all that stands between a criminal and your online identity if your device is lost or stolen.
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi for confidential transactions. If you have to, use a VPN.
• Ensure to switch off location services on devices unless you’re specifically using it.
• Finally, use special privacy features (such as the Private Browsing feature in Kaspersky Internet Security or Kaspersky Total Security), which remove personal information from Internet traffic, allowing people to browse privately.”