Do you know the Privacy Day, or data protection day? Launched in April 2006 by the Council of Europe, and since relayed by the European Commission, the initiative aims to make users aware of the protection of their personal information on the Web.
Smartphones, computers, tablets and today connected objects are interfering in our daily lives. So many devices that collect a slew of information about our uses and in particular a lot of personal data. On the occasion of European Day, which takes place on January 28, the Mozilla organization offers five best practices to adopt to protect your identity and security on the Net.
Strong password and multiple authentication
In order not to make it easier for a hacker, it is recommended to create strong and different passwords for all of your online accounts. Numbers, upper and lower case letters, special characters, the secret word must be complex, to prevent brute force attacks (chain attempt to find a password).
At the same time, it is essential to configure multi-factor authentication on your online services. SMS, email, application or physical security key are all possibilities that can be used. If a malicious user finds your password, they will be blocked and unable to access your account.
To limit your tracks on the Web, the developer of Firefox also recommends using different email addresses, depending on the service. This practice allows first of all to get rid of some spam, but also to limit your footprints on the Internet. It is more complex to link your digital identity to different services if your address is different for each of them. “For those who don’t feel like monitoring multiple email accounts, an alias manager is a nice alternative”underlines the organization.
Disable permission to location data
Mozilla also recommends exercise great caution in sharing your location with digital services. Mobile devices are very often able to determine your geographical position using a GPS sensor or based on nearby GSM antennas. On both iOS and Android, operating system settings determine which apps can access your location. “It’s best to disable location sharing on your devices, or at least use it with caution, and only grant access to apps you really trust”recalls the non-profit organization.
Finally, it is strongly advised to be pedagogical with your children and to teach them good online practices. By the age of 11, 90% of toddlers are already using the Internet, according to a Mozilla study. “Online predators, cyberbullying, exposure to inappropriate content”, the dangers are numerous on the Web. It is therefore vital to educate the youngest by guiding them regularly. Antivirus and parental controls can be avenues to explore to provide a first layer of protection.
