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.”
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