Today, learning is heavily dependent on the internet. You research online, write your essays online, and share your projects online. But as convenient as modern learning is, student privacy is at an all-time low as cyber attacks keep rising.
As a student, learning to protect your data online can save you a lot of trouble. For example, if you lose your laptop or phone to theft, you may retrieve your data from the cloud. Also, antimalware software may prevent you from accessing dangerous sites with online scams.
This article will show you online privacy tips for college students.
1. Hide your IP address
An IP address is a series of unique numbers that identifies a device on the internet. IP addresses can be used to track your online activity, such as the sites you visit often. Companies like Google track what you’ve been searching for and guess your buying behavior.
For example, have you ever searched a product on Google and found an ad for that product when watching videos on YouTube? Google’s algorithm predicted that you probably wanted to buy that product, so it’s helping you come to a quick decision.
Your IP address reveals a lot of information about your behavior, including weaknesses and desires. Advertisers can use these pieces of information to manipulate you into buying a product you may not even want.
You can use a proxy server to prevent your information from being tracked. Proxies can hide your IP address from ad networks, hackers, and government surveillance. So you will browse anonymously.
2. Use strong passwords
Avoid using easy-to-crack passwords such as your last name, birth year or your pet’s name. As easy as they may be to remember, they increase your vulnerability to cybercriminals.
You need long and unique passwords to protect your virtual data. They should have at least 10 characters. This way, it will be hard for cybercriminals to guess them. You can also enhance the security of your online accounts by enabling two-factor authentication.
3. Log out and clear your browsing history when using a public computer
Most colleges have computer labs where students can access the internet for research. Even though this is an excellent opportunity for students to learn, it poses a severe threat to personal data.
For example, if you used a computer and never logged out, someone using the computer after you may gain access to your information. The stranger may even steal your identity and impersonate you online while performing illegal activities.
Log out when you finish using a public computer to avoid exposing your personal information. Also, clear your browsing history so that people can’t see the sites you visited.
4. Avoid phishing sites and online scams
Never open emails from strangers. These emails often contain links that lead to phishing sites and online scams.
Scammers know that students are vulnerable because they are ambitious, gullible, and broke most of the time. They might show you get-rich-quick schemes, luring you to invest money. And if you fall for this kind of scam, you’ll never recover your money.
Always clear your spam box and install a malware browser guard to avoid phishing sites. A malware browser guard will prevent you from accessing dangerous sites when browsing.
5. Maintain your personal space
Do you have a roommate? Be careful with who can access your devices. No matter how much you trust your roommate, you can never truly know them or even their friends. They may access your laptop or phone when you are not around and breach your privacy.
Secure your devices with login passwords, and don’t share those passwords with anyone. And when you are leaving the room, ensure your devices are out of reach.
6. Keep software up to date
Installing software updates also means downloading the most recent security patches that help ensure your information is safe. Whether it’s antivirus, your operating system, or apps, you will be much safer from viruses, malware, and other threats when your computer is up to date.
7. Back up your data
You never know when your computer will crash or get stolen. If anything happens to your devices, you’ll lose all the information you stored in them, like photos, videos, and documents.
Backing up your data in an external hard drive or cloud is crucial. If you lose information in one location, you will be able to find it in another one.
Conclusion
Online privacy is a huge issue, but many students don’t even think about the dangers they face. If you want to make sure your information doesn’t get into the wrong hands, follow the tips discussed in this article. Some ways to protect your privacy include logging out after using a public computer, keeping your security software up to date, and using strong passwords. You can also hide your IP address using proxies to prevent your online activity from being tracked.