Privacy Risks You May be Overlooking Right Now

Introduction

Let’s be honest: most of the time when we’re on the Internet, we don’t tend to focus on our security and the dozens of security issues present. It’s a weakness of ours; a weakness needing to be stamped out as soon as possible.

Few Important Password/Security Features

• SH1
• TLS 1.3
• Encryption/Deception of Text
• SHA-384
• SHA-512

Fortunately, I’m here to tell you 5 of the biggest privacy risks you may be vulnerable to right now. After all, it’s never too late to fix your online security etiquette.

Google Tracking and Monitoring Users

If someone claimed Google would be ruling the world in 20 years, I wouldn’t be surprised—Google is everywhere…and so are their products. Google Home, Google Play Store, Google Purchases, Gmail: they already rule the Internet.
However, Google has shown time and time again that, while they want to retain a large userbase, they don’t care about treating their userbase with the respect it deserves. Google has betrayed users’ trust plenty of times, from Google Home recording people’s conversations without permission to Google Purchases unknowingly tracking purchases made with a Gmail account.
If you count on Google products and services, be sure to go through all of your privacy settings and make sure you’re not being tracked, recorded, and vice versa.

Using Short, Repetitive Passwords

According to multiple studies done throughout the past year, the most popular passwords are the epitome of weak, dangerous, and repetitive—passwords like “12345”, “123456”, “test1”, and yes, “password”.
But what do I mean by “repetitive”? Repetitive passwords are passwords used for multiple accounts. For example, if you were to use 1234 for your Gmail account, Apple account, and your bank login, it’d be a repetitive password, something you should avoid at all times.
Many people don’t bat an eye at their passwords, but if you’re someone that uses the same passwords for everything or uses short, weak passwords, I implore you to change them up with something like a password manager.

Accessing Sensitive Information on Public Networks

Not many of us pay attention to the quality of security on the network we connect to. However, it’s definitely something we need to do since it wouldn’t take much for a cybercriminal to steal your information on a public network.
I’ve seen people access their bank account on a public network! I’m not saying you shouldn’t take advantage of public networks, but I am encouraging you to refrain from accessing any sensitive information on any public network.
And if you must do so, at least use something like a VPN, which encrypts your information and makes sure no cybercriminal will get their hands on your personal information. Downloading a VPN can be the difference between safety and identity theft.

Clicking on the Wrong Links

Ever since the Internet’s conception, scammers have used email services as a way to scam everyone, from the elderly to the newest generation.
You’d think people would’ve learned by now, but I find that the lesson needs to be reiterated every now and then, so allow me to reiterate: don’t click on any link you receive from a strange email!
Scammers still find success with these scams, known as phishing scams, so make sure you don’t become part of that statistic.

Allowing Malicious Ads

Like most people, I adore adblockers. Not only do I appreciate the ability to keep ads off my screen, I appreciate the security benefits an adblocker brings to me and my device.
See, some scammers have evolved from your typical email scam. Instead, they buy out ad space and hide malicious code or links in a random ad. Of course, most people wouldn’t even know the ad was malicious until they’ve already clicked on it and put themselves at risk.
I recommend using an ad blocker to filter out these malicious ads. Plus, you get the added benefit of never seeing any ads in the first place—it’s a win-win (at least for me)!