Who do you want to hide your privates from most?
The first step to protect yourself online is identifying who you want to hide your information from first. Some citizens in specific countries are concerned about their governments leveraging their own information, while some online users simply don’t want social media sites like Facebook tracking them everywhere.
You should always think about who you are trying to protect your information from as a first step to privacy. In the cybersecurity industry, plotting out your weakest points that an attacker can leverage is called “Threat Modeling.” But before you can threat model, you must know who is your attacker, and what are you trying to protect.
You might ask yourself first…
Are you content with how much information retail companies hold about you?
Do you live in a country where you feel like your information is safe?
Has your email been leaked in countless data breaches, and could it be used against you for fraud or additional attacks against you?
Is someone stalking you?
If you think none of these questions apply, or if you don’t care about what happens to your data, consider these…
Do you have family, friends, or coworkers who may be hurt or impacted by the photos, emails, addresses you provide to other entities?
Are you a believer in privacy rights for others? Which organizations may leverage data in a way that could hurt demographics of people you about?
Depending on your answers, you may have pointed at some of the below entities. Check alongside their description to get started on hiding your data.
Keep in mind, these tactics can be used for multiple “bad guys”. This is a guide to help frame who you do not want to have your information.
Governments
Do you think the government might track your private data?
Concerned another country has possession of your privates?
Do you think your country is getting hacked by another country?
Do you live in a country - or do you plan to travel to - a country that is known for surveying their citizens to a level that makes your uncomfortable?
KNOW WHAT YOUR PUBLIC RECORDS LOOK LIKE
You might not realize how much information about you is technically considered “Public Record.” Your utility bills, large assets that require a loan, or debts may be deemed public record, and large data companies like Thomson Reuters and Lexis Nexis may acquire them in larger databases.
Search for yourself online. Use your full name with indicators like your address, education history, current occupation and any other basic information you might not usually leverage to identify yourself.
DECENTRALIZE INFORMATION ABOUT YOU
Configure a firewall
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Keep your social media footprint at a minimum
Don't disclose your social media, emails unless you have to.
Advertisers & Third parties
Creeped out when advertisements post for exactly what you've looked/seen/talked about?
Concerned that companies are tracking your purchases?
Have you received malware through a malvertising attack?
Has your data been sold to another company which was then hacked?
Social Media
Not comfortable with how anyone can find you through your friends and followers?
Want to stop using your Facebook to log into everything?
Don't like how social media scripts are on every website you visit?
Concerned about what nation-states control your data through social media sites (coughTikTokcough)
What you can do
DON'T USE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
Don't use a frequently used email, username or other identifying information on social media.
Don't use Facebook, Google or other websites as logins. You can usually sign up with an email address that won't immediately connect your Facebook or Gmail to whatever site you log into.
CHECK ONLINE FOR MOBILE APP PROFILES
Some mobile applications will also have a way to view your information online, or try to connect you to real names and addresses.
DELETE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.
But get your data first from the social media site.
Instructions for Facebook. Also, Find out what data you can get from Facebook.
Instructions for Twitter.
What you can do:
Use a burner phone (number). Burner or MySudo are apps that can help generate out different phone numbers. You can create new phone numbers or hold onto one phone to use for various privacy needs.
Don't use only one email account. If you own a website/domain, you can create new email
Sites like 33mail and 10 Minute Mail can create quick emails, which you can use for one-time site signups, or to track when a certain company has sold your data (which you can identify with a unique email) to another entity.
Other humans
Not comfortable giving out your personal number to strangers?
Don't want to give out your number all the time?
Want to keep your professional and personal life separate?
Do you think you are being stalked by another person?
Concerned that Google connects all of your information together?
Sick of using Google for all of your searches?
Feel like all you ever can use is Google?
What you can do:
Don’t forget to download all your data Google may have on you.
Use Firefox instead of Google Chrome.
If you have to use Chrome, don't sign into the Google Chrome browser, and/or use their privacy mode.
Use the TrackMeNot extension on your browser. TrackMeNot hides your searches among other searches that the extension runs in the background.