The internet has become an integral part of our lives, and with that comes the need to protect our online privacy. However, protecting our privacy can be a daunting task, especially when we have to enter our contact details repeatedly to access various services online. Despite the challenges, it is essential to safeguard our information from cyber-criminals, marketers, and hackers, who can use it for malicious purposes. So, how can we have our cake and eat it too? Here are some strategies to help you enjoy the benefits of the online world while keeping your information safe.
1. Disposable and Temporary: The Art of Online Camouflage
Most websites require an email address to register. Still, instead of using our primary email address, we can use a disposable email address for things we don’t care much about, such as accessing restricted content or signing up for newsletters. Disposable email services are available that allow you to use a temporary email that self-destructs after a set period. This is useful for one-time use when you don’t want to risk being bombarded with spam or marketing communications. However, it’s not advisable to use these services for sensitive communications. We can also create a secondary email address for important newsletters and logins while using an end-to-end encrypted email service like ProtonMail for government, banking, and other critical contacts. This strategy ensures our primary email address is used only for family and friends, keeping our inbox organized, spam-free, and protected from data leaks.
Alternatively, we can use features like Apple’s Hide My Email to sign up for services without giving our real email. Apple generates a unique address that masks our real email and automatically forwards emails from the masked account to our real email. While Android does not offer a similar feature, alternatives like Firefox Relay are available.
2. The Burner Phone Number
Our phone number is another must-have to register and log into websites and receive timed passwords that confirm our identity. Online retailers may also hand over our contact details to delivery services. Our real phone number is everywhere, and we may receive random texts and scam attempts. Therefore, we can get a cheap prepaid SIM card, which requires no ID to use. This card is cheap, and we need to top up a few bucks every few months to keep it on. We should use this phone number for all our online needs, link it to social media accounts, use it for parcel tracking, share it with potential online dates, and maintain general anonymity. Meanwhile, our real primary number should only be shared with family, friends, government, or financial institutions. Since we use the burner number for online purposes, we can assume any call is a scam and that a website we were registered with has suffered a data breach.
3. Single-Use Bank Cards
Buying online is convenient, but using the banking card details we have stored from previous purchases can compromise our card details if there’s a data breach. To avoid this risk, we can opt for single-use virtual cards that many banks offer instead of physical cards. Most of these banks also offer disposable single-use cards connected to our real card. After making a purchase with a single-use card, the bank system destroys the card details and generates new ones automatically for the next purchase. Randomized cards prevent hackers from tracking our real information, and sellers can still return money through the same single-purchase card details to our account.
4. Two-Factor Authentication and One-Time Codes
Most online services support two-factor authentication (2FA) and recommend its usage. 2FA involves an extra authentication step apart from entering our password, such as using SMS messages to send a one-time passcode (OTP) to our phone number or using authentication apps such as Microsoft Authenticator. Since SMS-based 2FA has many vulnerabilities, using authentication apps is better.
In conclusion, embracing online privacy as part of our normal routine will make it feel natural and seamless, taking away the burden and constant doubt of protecting our digital life. Using email addresses, phone numbers, and cards not directly linked to us minimizes our digital footprint and reduces the risk of data breaches or scams. Besides, using digital security software that protects us from other potential risks and attacks is crucial. By implementing the above strategies, we can enjoy the benefits of the online world while protecting our online privacy.