Privacy is a very important factor for Internet users. Our data can be compromised for many different reasons when we enter a web page, use a program or service on the web. Luckily we also have methods and tools that we can use to protect ourselves and prevent personal information from being exposed. In this article we are going to talk about how they could spy on us while browsing and what to do to avoid it.
Why it is important to maintain privacy
Whenever we surf the net we must bear in mind the importance of preserving our privacy. Personal data has great value. They can be used to include us in spam campaigns, send targeted advertising or even sell them to third parties.
The web pages that we visit, the services and platforms where we are registered, may have interests in obtaining information from users in order to profit financially. In this way, they use different methods and strategies (some legitimate and others not) to obtain that data.
For all this it is very important to maintain our privacy . We must not expose information, give clues about what device we use, what programs we have installed, etc. This way we can also avoid problems that put our security at risk.
Who can spy on us on the Internet
As we have indicated, there are many interested in collecting our data that may be on the Internet. We are going to see who are the main actors that could put our privacy at risk.
Website trackers
Web page trackers are undoubtedly one of the main ones that could put our privacy at risk and spy on us. Basically what they do is collect information about the sites we visit, the time we spend on a website, where we have registered, what we have bought …
These trackers can be useful to offer us results adapted to our location, tastes, etc. But they could also compromise our privacy. They could sell that information to third parties, for example.
Social media
Social networks are widely used by users on the Internet. They serve to be in contact with friends and family, inform us, upload images or videos … But we must also bear in mind that it is a type of platform where our data can be exposed.
This type of service can collect information about pages that we follow, who we have added as contacts, where we are, what sites we have visited … At the end of the day there is a lot of data that we can put.
Programs we use
We must also mention the programs we use. The software that we install in the system could collect information from our team, name, email … Sometimes they ask for information of this type.
But we could also install some kind of program that has additional software added for the sole purpose of spying on us. It can be a source of income for some free programs.
The networks we connect to
On the other hand, the wireless networks to which we connect, or more specifically those that manage them, could serve to spy. They can also collect information about users, the equipment they use, sites where they browse, services they have opened …
What to do to avoid privacy problems when browsing
For all that we have mentioned we can take into account some tips. The aim is to prevent our personal information from being compromised. We are going to show some essential recommendations
Do not expose more information than necessary
A point to keep in mind is to avoid exposing more information than necessary. For example, in social networks, do not put our email address visible, do not open the profile to those who are not contacts, do not publish our location, etc.
There is a lot of data that we can expose on the net without realizing it. Also when using forums on the Internet or writing a comment on any web page. We must not make public information that may be available to anyone.
Be careful with which services we link to social networks
We have seen that social networks can be used to spy on us , however the services that we link to them can also do so. Hence the importance of being careful with other programs or pages that we can link to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
It is common that when logging into a page or platform they allow us to do it directly with Facebook. But this could be a privacy issue as they could access personal information.
Use more private browsers
Another issue that we can take into account is to use more private browsers . Some of the most popular are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, but we have many more options at our disposal. Some are more focused on security and protecting our data, such as the Tor browser.
Browser extensions
The browsers themselves also have extensions available to improve privacy. In the case of Chrome, which is the most used, it has a wide range of add-ons that can be used to protect our data when browsing. We can also find it in others like Mozilla Firefox.
Use VPN
Whenever we browse the Internet on public networks we can expose privacy and security. Networks can be insecure and we don’t really know who might be behind it. What a VPN does is encrypt the connection and thus protect the information.
In short, by following these steps we can improve privacy on the network. The objective is to prevent our personal information from being exposed and serve so that third parties can profit from or include us in campaigns that also put security at risk.
