5 Essential data privacy tips for everyone

5 Essential data privacy tips for everyone

Who should read this?

All Employees, Cybersecurity Managers

Websites, apps, and online services collect personal data daily, including our interests, purchases, browsing habits, and even health information. While this data helps improve user experiences, it also increases the risk of misuse, identity theft, and online scams.

On Data Privacy Day (January 28), it’s important to remember that while we can’t control how our data is collected, we can take steps to manage our personal information and reduce our exposure to risks. By following a few simple habits, you can strengthen your data privacy and keep your data safer. Here are five practical tips to help you protect your personal information online:

5 Tips to protect your personal data

1. Be mindful of what you share online

The more personal details you share on social media, job sites, or online forms, the easier it is for scammers to misuse them. They can use this info to trick you or even steal your identity. Think before you post—avoid sharing sensitive details like your home address, phone number, location pins, or identity proof numbers, especially when combined with other personal information.

2. Check your privacy settings

Many apps and websites track your activity and collect more data than necessary. Reviewing and adjusting your privacy settings helps you control what information is shared. Check your social media, apps, and device settings to limit data collection. Only allow apps access to essential permissions, when absolutely needed.

3. Consider using a temporary email for sign-ups

A temporary email is a short-term email address that you can use instead of your real one when signing up for websites, apps, or newsletters. Some services create a disposable email that expires after a certain time, while others generate a masked email that forwards messages to your real inbox, keeping your actual email hidden. This helps protect your primary email from spam, unwanted tracking, and data breaches. For non-essential sign-ups, consider using a secondary email or temporary email services to reduce exposure.

4. Delete old accounts you no longer use

Think about all the websites you’ve signed up for over the years—those old accounts may still have your personal data stored. If those websites get hacked, your information could be exposed. Take a few minutes to delete accounts you don’t use anymore—especially for online stores or services you haven’t used in years.

5. Say no to tracking and targeted ads

Many websites track your activity and collect data about your interests for targeted ads. This can expose a lot of your personal details, collected over time. Go into your browser, apps, and social media settings and disable ad tracking to stop unnecessary data collection.

Why data privacy matters

Data privacy is important because it affects your security, your choices, and your peace of mind. By limiting the exposure of your personal information, you gain more control over how it’s used and who can access it. To help with this, Security Quotient’s research team has created an infographic, “5 Data privacy tips for everyone,” offering simple steps to protect your personal data. In a world where data is constantly being collected, staying aware and making smart privacy choices helps you stay safe and in control of your own information.

5 Data privacy tips for everyone
Free infographic

5 Data privacy tips for everyone

Download this infographic for practical tips on protecting your personal data and improving your privacy online.

Download

Article Contributor

Sreelakshmi M P

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