How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Data Breach

The term data has emerged out of its clichéd meanings and definitions. A lateral thought on the same might suggest that data in modern times is your life expressed in cryptic format owing to the considerable amount of time that we are now devoting towards shifting our lives from a manual to a digital gear. Losing out on data can be thought of as losing a part of your sensitive details, which you might not be willing to share as such.

Data Breach Incidents

Every morning we are waking up to news, articles, and reports from all over the world, which are highlighting the rise in the cases of a data breach. Even though the issue has quite a lot of sensitivity attached to it, people are not really ''waking up'' to it. Some are unaware of the existence of this breach in privacy while others are not taking it seriously thinking of it to be an issue of the more significant personalities or organizations, if we may call them so.

The other side of the story suggests that the whole issue around these data breach incidents might not be as fractious as they are being projected to be, primarily because most of them are not having proven sources most of the time. Nevertheless, the question remains that as users, can we afford to neglect the existence of such a digital epidemic around us?

The Uncertainty Prevails

Now, as the background has been made clear to the readers, it is understandable that the scenario of the whole debate about the invasion of online privacy is such that there is a high amount of uncertainty that has erupted over the issue.

But to be safe, it is essential that we treat the uncertainty as an alarm and therefore make use of measures that can help us prevent any untoward incident. As it is, it is always said that one must always look to prevent and prepare because otherwise, we will only be left to resent and repair.

#1. Use Encrypted Devices

To secure your data, you must first ensure that the device you are using to store and create this data is encrypted correctly. Encryption is a method to make your data inaccessible without a unique code that only the user has possession. Any use of an unencrypted data or device must be discouraged by the user, be it at a personal level or in the professional sector. In your objective of data breach prevention, it is the first step towards security and can prevent future mishaps if practiced religiously.

#2. Use Open Networks with Caution

One of the things that we are commonly guilty of doing is to grab on to any open Wi-Fi network that we get in the public domain. The fact is that using a free Wi-Fi network unconsciously and putting up online information by using it makes us more vulnerable to any breach in our online privacy because, through the Open Wi-Fi networks, the provider can trace your online activity more efficiently than any private network will be able to do.

#3. Use Private Emails

The significant chunk of every relevant information that you are passed onto by your banks, social media accounts, or any other organization is done via the email itself. Therefore, for the mischievous elements operating online, the email will be the first to thing to tap and get hold of your data. When you use a private email service, then it means that the level of protection for the data which you are being shared through this email gets enhanced.

Putting it in simpler words, the meaning of a private email is that you have a self-owned or self-created email system. It will only be you who will have access to this email system, and only you can manage and limit the usage of this system. Currently, there are many digital platforms and apps which are offering this private email service to the users.

One of these apps is EPRIVO.

The EPRIVO app can be considered as a unique sort of a private email app and service because the app does not only offer the user with encryption of their email messages, but it also provides other finer privacy controls that are aimed at enhancing the confidentiality of the emails of the user in both the cloud and in the recipients' devices. It also adds physical security to enhance the security provided by digital means alone.

#4. Multi-Factor Authentication

The process of multi-factor authentication is now being mainstreamed throughout the world. This is because adding more and more obstacles to the accessibility of your data will cause trivial inconvenience to you. Still, it always adds to the security of your data as well.

Multi-factor authentication has been introduced by the most prominent online organizations, including Google, and is now actively being accepted by the significant corporate institutions also. On a personal level, you can also activate the multi-factor authentication for your social media account.

#5. Web Proxy

Now, if vulnerability persists from your Internet provider’s end, then various websites can get hold of your IP address online. This can often, in turn, enables monitoring your online data exchange. To avoid any such situation, one should start using web proxy apps or websites. They can help in protecting or hiding the IP address from various websites online.

Websites like KProxy, HideMyAss act in a way that they will allow you to access blocked websites. Moreover, they will also help you preventing to leave behind any evidence that indicates that you had visited any particular website by hiding your IP address effectively. So, there will be no imprint left of yours on the Internet, and therefore, your activities can no longer be tracked.

Read This : The Benefits of Proxy Servers for Businesses

#6. Strengthening of Your Passwords

Sometimes following the basics is all that is needed to be done in life. Similar is the case in the prevention of data breach. If you have set strong and unique passwords for your accounts and are also in the habit of regularly revising, then it's good.

Changing these passwords makes it more difficult for hackers to sneak into your accounts and get access to your information. Although it might sound elementary and orthodox, following it stringently will work wonders for you if you want to prevent your data online being accessed.

#7. Secure Backup

The backup options which you are using to get a backup for your data can also be a source of data leak if not done correctly. There have been many modern systems that have been introduced to secure your backup data as well. You must search and look into these options so that you do not employ any vulnerable backup service that can be easily accessed by others.

Earlier, even some of the biggest organizations from all across the world were using tapes for the storage of their backup data. It was effortless to lose this data in the form of the tapes, and this led to significant data breaches as well. Now, by using online platforms and digital systems, the problem has been resolved.

Summing Up

A new decade is just around the corner, and yet the threat of invasion of online privacy still persists. With a little assurance and hope from the weak cyber law policies, we're hoping that individuals will look forward to ensuring their security on their own.