21 Cybersecurity Tips Coming From Netizens That You May Want To Incorporate In Your Daily Online Life

Do you know what's the saddest thing about all this? Many years ago, the great sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke claimed that "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," and today it's damn true. In fact, much of what is available to us today through a variety of online services may seem fantastic and magical - but people are improving them not only for good, but also for evil.

According to a report published by the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), in 2022 there were 1,774 data breaches all over the U.S. with over 442M total victims. This is only slightly less than the “record” figure of 1862 cases registered in 2021, but the main problem with these data breaches is that you may not even notice that you’ve become a victim. And, accordingly, the consequences can be felt months or even years later.

ITRC is, of course, not the only resource that collects such data. Cyber security companies are doing their own analysis, and these numbers are no less troubling. For example, only in the third quarter of 2023, according to a study conducted by Surfshark, one of the world's leading companies in the field of cyber security, the United States held the sad “primacy” in the number of breached accounts with 2.767B.

Thus, there were 816 breaches per 100 people only in the U.S. On a global scale, Surfshark research shows us that since 2004, a total of 16.6B accounts have been breached, and approximately 6.0B of them have unique email addresses. In other words, for example, a single email account is breached around 3 times.

If we talk about the 1,774 data breaches that took place in 2022, according to the ITRC study, then in more than half of them, the name (1,560 cases) and full social security number (1,143) of the victims were revealed. Among another biggest compromises are date of birth (633), current home address (565), driver license and/or state ID number (499), medical history with all information about diagnoses and treatment (465), as well as bank account number (443). And it’s still surprising how often people continue to step on the same online rake.

It seems funny when, at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, people still use passwords like 123456 or their own date of birth (we remind you - the third most common leaked information in data breaches), but the statistics are inexorable: the three largest common password practices among hacking victims in the U.S. in 2021, according to Statista data, were using a password more than once (89%), sharing personal passwords (74%) and using a password with less than 8 characters (61%). In other words, people simply don’t pay that much attention to cyber security, or even forget about it.

Among the tips listed in this selection of ours, most of them are actually relevant today, although some ideas are repeated. The overall experience of surfing safely and avoiding unpleasant situations online, according to cyber security experts from Surfshark, can be summarized in ten basic tips:

• clear cookies after each browsing session
• use a password manager
• use two-factor authentication
• use an adblocker to stop malicious software
• use a VPN to protect your data
• use an antivirus
• make sure your browser is up to date
• enable private browsing or use a private browser
• use privacy search engines
• avoid HTTP websites.

It's no wonder that so much attention is paid to using a VPN - after all, it really allows you to avoid many problems. For example, I’m writing this text while sitting in a cafe with private Wi-Fi (well, there’s a sign with the password on the cafe wall, anyway...), so I turned on the VPN, and I can be relatively calm about the fact that that someone on the same network will have access to my laptop.

Basically, I could do the same thing using a free VPN service or maybe surfing with Tor browser, but the connection speed is still a game changer. Paid VPN services don’t cut down (or almost not cut down) on connection speed, so comfort plus security is something that I personally am willing to pay for.

One of my favorite phrases regarding free services is “if you don’t pay for the product, then you are the product!” Well, of course, not you and me, but our personal data, our digital footprint, which is becoming larger over the years, and which various data brokers are willing to buy. By and large, almost all of this digital footprint can actually be deleted - although this will require a huge amount of time and effort. Much more than creating it...

“Completely wiping personal data from the network can be an uphill battle, given that once information is released or leaks onto the internet, it can quickly proliferate and scatter across countless platforms,” Aleksandr Valentij, Cyber Security Lead at Surfshark, whom Bored Panda asked for a comment here, agrees. “Bits of your digital footprint, including search history, passwords, and account information - every cookie you've ever clicked 'accept' for - are captured by data brokers.”

“These brokers diligently document your online activities, the pages you browse, and your preferences, repackaging this data to sell to interested third parties. However, there is a way to fight back. Incogni by Surfshark actively steps in on your behalf, engaging with these data brokers to advocate for the removal of your information, offering a layer of defense in the quest to reclaim your online privacy."

The leader among the information that attackers obtain as a result of data breaches has been the user’s name for many years. Some netizens, if they still need to register on a site which security is in doubt, use an alternative identity. “Creating an alternate online identity through a proxy email can be immensely beneficial for safeguarding privacy, sidestepping unsolicited spam in your primary email, or delineating the boundaries between various faces of one's life - such as work, personal activities, or when participating in discussions around sensitive subjects,” Aleksandr Valentij says.

“With Surfshark's Alternative ID feature, you can establish a brand-new, distinct online persona complete with a proxy email. This allows you to protect your personal information, prevent data breaches, and keep your primary inbox free from clutter. Simply convey to us the specifics of the identity you wish to project, and we will curate a new profile, complete with an email address, ensuring your actual identity remains concealed.”

In 2016, a photo of Mark Zuckerberg’s laptop with the camera taped over spread around the world, and many netizens rushed to follow his example. In fact, the creator of Facebook was largely right in his fears. "Unauthorized access to an individual's webcam can severely compromise their privacy. It enables attackers to covertly record personal images or videos, potentially leading to exploitation. This vulnerability can open the door to blackmail, stalking, sextortion or other malicious activities," Aleksandr Valentij states.

Well, today you can get by with software soultions instead of adhesive tape... "Surfshark Antivirus offers a layer of security by blocking camera access from all unauthorized applications, immediately alerting you to any failed access attempts. Furthermore, it provides robust protection for your device against malware by proactively scanning files before they are downloaded or opened, ensuring that no malicious elements breach your system," Aleksandr adds.

In other words, a VPN plus a few more additional services today can easily do the lion’s share of the security work for us.

By the way, in addition to taking care of your online safety, VPNs have several other useful and pleasant features. For example, you can try to bypass geographic restrictions. Let's say, if you want to watch a show online that isn’t available in your region or country (and there are more and more such restrictions in the world...)

"If a user is facing geographic restrictions while attempting to watch a show online, employing a VPN is a common solution," Aleksandr Valentij says. “A reliable VPN service, such as Surfshark, can help in this scenario. When connected to a VPN, the user's internet traffic is rerouted through a server located in a country where the show is legally available, effectively changing the perceived location of the user. This process conceals the user’s actual IP address, making it seem as though they are accessing the content from within an unrestricted region.”

However, nobody’s perfect, and data leaks can always occur, no matter how prudent we are. In this case, it will be really critical to find out about the problem in a timely manner in order to take measures and minimize the damage. “Getting a fast and full alert if your personal data gets leaked is crucial. It lets you act quickly to protect your accounts by changing passwords and watching your bank activity to help prevent identity theft,” our expert is sure. “Surfshark's Alert service gives you instant warnings if your email ends up in a data breach, so you can take quick steps to keep your information safe.”