Ways to Maximize Privacy and Data Security:

1. Update Privacy Settings 

Websites that connect people, such as social media, have lots of privacy settings, and updating them puts you one step ahead. Ideally, the default settings allow people to view your personal information. Changing these settings will make sure fewer people have access to this information.

Oversharing in social media is so common that cyberbullies have a relatively easy time finding prey. Avoid adding tags on your photos and remove any embarrassing material as it can be used against you. Also, turn on two-factor authentication in your social media apps and Google as well. It’s like an extra firewall to your account’s security.

2. Unlink Accounts

Most websites have introduced an option of linking accounts. Many sites are now allowing you to log in to their accounts via Google. While it may sound convenient, linking accounts is a ticking time bomb.

If, in any case, one of your accounts is compromised, you’ll be risking all related accounts. Unlinking is a precautionary measure and keeps all your accounts from being hacked at once.

3. Disable Cookies

The issue of third party browser cookies has been so rampant that the data privacy laws now require a user’s consent. It means that websites are not allowed to use your browser cookies without you pressing the “Accept” button whenever a cookie request pops up.

Cookies are what keep your browsing data history, remember password and usernames, or allow automatic sign-ins. Deleting cookies may be inconvenient on sites you visit regularly. Still, it is worth it if you value your data.

4. Use A VPN

Have you ever heard of a VPN? A Virtual Private Network (VPN) will direct your internet traffic and encrypt it to another server’s location. Through the encryption, your internet service provider (ISP) or potential hacker will not be able to track your traffic online.

They will only be able to see data going in and out of the VPN. VPN’s are also great for securing data when there are restrictions in your country.

5. Use Stronger Passwords

However, cliché this might sound, stronger passwords remain the most critical to maintaining your online security. Since we are bound to so many websites, it becomes tiresome to have, let’s say, eight different passwords. Many people get lazy and use the same password across all websites, which becomes an issue.

For better privacy, use long passwords with a mix of characters. You can also use short passphrases separated by a space bar. They are not easy to crack but still easy to remember for you. For instance, “good hat door” or “grey_lose_car?” You should avoid using the same passwords, even if you think they are strong enough.

Final Take

Data is a valuable asset and as we wind up, encryption is also an essential aspect of data privacy. You should become self-aware of the kind of information you’re sharing including who has access to it. By following the above steps, you’ll be a step closer to securing your data and information online. 

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There is one problem, however. This process takes time and finances. This makes it impossible for all companies to institute all the changes simultaneously.

Unfortunately, non-compliance has resulted in some users being geo-blocked from non GDPR compliant websites.

If you are facing this, there are indeed some simple ways to avoid or bypass the geo-block.

What Is Geo-blocking?

Geo-blocking is the process of blocking traffic from users of a specified geographical location.

When you attempt to enter a geo-blocked website, it’s likely to give the error: “this content is not available in your location.”

Your IP address usually determines these locations.

GDPR Block

On the surface, GDPR is positive in matters of cybersecurity. However, people residing in Europe are also realizing that GDPR has significantly reduced their online freedoms.

Once the GDPR came into effect, numerous companies chose to cut services instead of risking a violation of GDPR rules-and the accompanying penalties.

The result? EU users are nor blocked from accessing these sites.

This comes after the realization that one can now nor access certain websites.

In this particular instance, websites that have chosen to pull out have restricted access by blocking all EU IP addresses.

This blanket restriction works by automatically blocking any traffic from Europe.

Is It Possible to By-Pass the GDPR Block?

Yes, you can.

GDPR blocking works much like entertainment apps, and streaming companies can be bypassed by users.

This is done by hiding one’s IP address. Once you do this, you replace it with one from a country that is not geo-blocked from the sites you want to access. 

To Bypass GDPR, you would need to mask your ID by replacing it with an IP address outside Europe. 

This is where proxies and Virtual Private Network (VPN) come into play. 

Hiding Location through a Proxy

When accessing a site through a proxy, the proxy redirects traffic via a proxy server. The websites you visit, see the IP of the proxy’s server, not your IP.

There are free proxies you can use for this. However, most free options also add trackers that monitor your online behavior.

While you can access GDPR blocked sites, your information is laid bare to the proxy server. This makes your online security a concern. 

Hiding Location Using the Onion Router

Also known Tor, this option would serve well in bypass GDPR. Tor is a network that passes your date over several nodes before directing it to the intended destination. 

As such, the last node’s IP address is what is seen on the website you are visiting. 

This does not come without a downside, however. Because the information has to skip through several nodes, this slows down the connection. 

Again, while Tor is assumed to be more reliable than a proxy, it only covers your browsing history. Your torrent activity is exempt.

Hiding Location through VPN

A VPN encrypts your traffic and changes your location as well. 

A proxy only masks traffic sent from your browser. In addition to this, actions on other apps on your device do not have these protections. This means that if you download content from sites such as Bit Torrent, this traffic does not go through your proxy server either. 

On the other hand, a good VPN will cover all your online activities and protect you on unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi. These are protection a proxy does not deliver.

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But why online privacy, anyway?

Online privacy should be as crucial to you as in the real world. I’m sure you wouldn’t be comfortable singing your favorite shower song at a family gathering. Or even share your financial details with a total stranger. It will help if you remember nothing is given for free in the online realm, from downloading free apps to using a company’s free service like Facebook social networking. 

The first mistake of thinking that you have nothing to hide is giving out your personal information. You don’t have the slightest clue whom your personal will be shared with as information in one the company can be shared with the other. But even worse is when companies sell your information without your consent. Ideally, this is identity theft.

Personal life

If you’re not responsible for some sensitive data, you might think you have nothing to hide or “less” of a target. Well, the value of your online portfolio increases with every search term, status, or photos uploaded from your personal computer or mobile phone. Your online trails are left in browser cookies, Google Tags, Facebook Pixel, and other web tags. Together with AI, your data is analyzed and used to understand your surfing patterns. With this kind of insight, marketing companies fight to get a piece of your habits to personalize ads and create customized content. 

But the paradox here is, “who doesn’t love personalized stuff?” Though internet snooping is not entirely legal, we still don’t want irrelevant ads and searching for one thing, and Google gives you a different answer. Striking a balance between personalization and data privacy has been a topic of discussion for quite some time.  

So, is there a way out? 

Of course! 

There are simple adjustments you can make to ensure that your data is not used inappropriately. First, adjust your privacy settings on Google, Twitter, Facebook, and any other network. You can also delete cookies on browsers or use a browser that doesn’t keep a record on your browsing history. Thirdly, watch out for the “Accept Cookies” disclaimer. Recently, data and privacy laws required all websites to ask for permission from users before storing cookie information. So, to be on the safe side, check what these cookie policies entail before accepting. 

Lastly, double down on sharing your personal information on the internet. Start locking down your cyber life and don’t seek validation from people who are just pressing a button with no emotional effort. This is probably the best way to ensure that data-hungry corporations and hackers don’t get enough information from you. Consider this as cyber-cleansing. Just as the current times call for regular hand-washing, it is also time to learn and wash your data as often as possible. 

In conclusion… 

Your privacy is as important on the internet as it is offline. Though we have cyber laws and data restrictions to protect your data, self-awareness is the ultimate solution. You are in control of your data, and no one can access it if you choose. 

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CCPA is a comprehensive data privacy law that seeks to regulate how businesses handle personal information they collect from California residents. 

This law was effected on 1st January 2020, becoming the first law of its kind in the U.S.

There is a similar regulation in Europe called the GDPR. This one provides data privacy protection for residents of the EU.

While the CCPA leaves out some seemingly measures contained in the GDPR, It does have a much broader view of what private data is, and has some strict protection guidelines as well. 

Who Does It Apply to?

The CCPA applies to all businesses, irrespective of their location worldwide that:

• Sells, purchases, receives or shares personal information of 50,000 or more California residents yearly for commercial purposes. These can be household, devices or consumers. 
• Has an annual gross income of above $25 million
• Makes over 50% of its revenue from selling personal data of California residents

What Is Sale of Personal Information?

Under the act, the sale of personal information is defined as ‘’selling, renting, disclosing, disseminating, making available, transferring or otherwise communicating orally or in writing, or by electronic, or other means, a customer’s personal information by the business to another business, or a third party for monetary or other valuable consideration’’. (1798.140.t1).

Further, if any company shares branding (including trademark, shared name and service mark) with any other business liable under CCPA, the company becomes subject to CCPA as well. 

What Data Does the CCPA Cover?

Understanding the specific data the CCPA covers is crucial in ensuring compliance. 

Here is what AB 375 considers to be personal information.

• Biometric information
• Identifiers, including postal address, real name, aliases, online identifier IP address, account name, email address, unique personal identifier, driver’s license number, social security number, passport number, among other similar identifiers
• Information touching on protected classifications under both federal and California law
• Commercial information like records of services and products purchased or considered and records of other personal property. This also includes consuming and purchasing histories and tendencies
• Internet and other electronic activity such as search history, information about a user’s interaction with a  site, advertisement and applications and browsing history
• Geolocation information
• Information related to a user’s employment or profession
• Visual, thermal, audio, electronic and olfactory information
• Education information not in the public domain. This is defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act 
• Any inferences that are drawn from the above to draw a customer profile that informs on their preferences, psychological trends, characteristics, preferences, behavior, intelligence, attitudes and abilities

What Does CCPA Mean for Online Security?

With CCPA, data security is front and center in that netizens must give consent before data collection. They also have the right to know before their information is accessed by third parties and where their information is stored.

There is also a requirement for companies to maintain and implement reasonable security. The specifics of this are, however, not clearly outlined as they are in the GDPR.

This notwithstanding, the act does provide clear penalty guidelines for cybersecurity violations. One of these is litigation.

Suppose a business suffers data hefts resulting from non-compliance. In that case, they can face a class action suit as well as penalties of up to $750 per California incident and resident or the actual damages, whichever is greater.

For website owners, it will now be necessary to implement changes to inform users at data collection points about the data to be collected and the purpose.

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