How to stay relaxed and be secure online.
We believe that the internet should be safe, open and inclusive. It needs to offer choice and the possibility to stay private. Wait — what’s privacy again? In recent times, this term has mostly been associated with violations, data leaks and personal information that’s being sold from one company to another. Internet users feel betrayed, hopeless and don’t believe in a private web experience anymore. And we get why.
But here’s good news: you can reclaim your privacy and gain back control over your very own internet experience! It’s actually surprisingly easy. Everyone can do it (promise!). All it’ll take is some time to read this booklet, pick the tips you want to implement and get started.
There’s risk, always, everywhere – online as well as offline. Of course, not everyone is exposed to them equally, and the ways people (can) protect themselves vary. On the web, it depends on how and how much you browse and where you’re located. In any case, it’s crucial to understand the risks you want to address before taking any steps. Here’s what to be aware in particular:
Even when organizations are careful with user data, it’s possible that email addresses, passwords and even more sensitive data could get exposed in a data breach. Or, sometimes, we may even unintentionally reveal more than we should or want to about ourselves. Unfortunately, scammers only need a few personal details in order to create fake profiles, which may cast a bad light on the person/people affected for a long time.
According to the GDPR, you can ask for your data to be handed over to you or have it deleted; however, sites might not comply with this request and neither may those who don’t offer their services out of Europe.
Trackers, cookies? You’ve most likely heard about them before. Trackers are tiny elements on websites that observe and record your behavior in order to pass it on to the page owner(s) or third parties. Some of them even track you across numerous websites.
Tracking cookies are supposed to tell website owners and advertisers about your browsing behavior and what you’re interested in. It is then used to personalize your web experience. Oftentimes that means that you see customized ads, matched to your interests. Ultimately, the cookies put together a lot of information about you and store it in a profile. That may sound convenient but, unfortunately, these profiles aren’t necessarily accurate. In the best case, that means that you get less relevant ads. In the worst case, the information you see on some websites doesn’t fit your needs and expectations. Also, be aware that your profile can influence, for example, the prices at which products and services are offered to you.
Even if the Internet rarely allows us to be completely anonymous, it is still easy to hide behind an online identity. Some people take advantage of this to bully, troll or rant against others. Especially in social networks and forums, this has become a major issue in recent years. Since we leave so many traces on the internet, this may have further, even more unpleasant consequences. In a worst case scenario, if someone finds enough personal information about you online, they could follow you from online to offline.
News recommendations are convenient and, let’s be honest, many of us prefer to read content that is in line with our opinion. But what if that content isn’t accurate? Or what if we lose sight of the big picture because we are only exposed to a small part of it – how can we form our own opinion?
Many of us feel that we have little control over their security, privacy and the quality of the information we see online. Maybe that’s how you feel, too. Yes, there is room for improvement – but all too often we are rather lazy and use only a fraction of the tools available to us. Or we rely on convenient all-in-one solutions, putting a huge amount of personal data in the hands of a single company without hesitation. Why? Because we don’t want to give it more thought than absolutely necessary. Or maybe also because we simply don’t know how many alternatives we actually have.
It’s time for a Data Detox! Together with the Tactical Tech Collective, Mozilla has put together a nice little package of practical tips, called the Data Detox Kit. It’s a program that will make you feel like a whole new online person. Don’t feel ready yet for the full program? Feel free to begin with one of the following tips instead (or all of them)!
Delete your browser history. Whether you’re using Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or a different product – all of them offer this functionality. You’ll usually find it in the settings menu under “Security” or in a separate area. This is how to take care of it in Firefox.
Delete your Google activities history. Log into your account, open the “My Activity” section, and scroll through it. Surprised by all the information stored here, maybe even shocked? Feel free to delete it: In the menu on the left, click to go to “Delete Activity by“ > change date to “All time“ and products to “All Products“ > click “Delete“ > click “OK“ to delete if a pop-up appears.
All of us, some more and some less, tend towards convenience. Sometimes that means that we willingly give up a lot of control. In order not to have to start a major digital cleanup every other week, simply make sure that not so much of your data is collected in the first place. It’s easier than you might think! One simple way: avoid all-in-one solutions. They can put together a 360-degrees view on you and also, they’re not necessarily the perfect fit for all users anyway. Time to try some alternatives! Let us give a couple of examples:
While many users choose their favorite browser to use on their desktop computer, most never switch the pre-installed browser apps on their mobile devices.
Give Firefox Focus a try. Our super-fast privacy browser blocks many known cookies and tracking, and lets you browse the web well protected.
DuckDuckGo, unlike other providers, doesn’t create user profiles or filter results, so all users get the same search outcome. It is available in your browser’s search bar and as a browser extension.
Have you heard about Posteo? It’s an independent e-mail provider based in Berlin that offers sustainable e-mail services, address books and calendars that are super-secure, encrypted, ad-free and user-financed through a low monthly fee.
While many users choose their favorite browser to use on their desktop computer, most never switch the pre-installed browser apps on their mobile devices.
Signal is a free and secure encrypted messenger for iOS, Android and various computer operating systems. The application is also backed by a foundation that supports open source and advocates freedom of speech.
To an extent, we can control what information about ourselves is available on the web. Unfortunately, this can’t protect us entirely against dangers. A particularly bad one is identity theft. Here’s what you might want to consider:
There are a bunch of tools that can help improve your level of privacy and security. And that’s great! However, you’ll still require passwords to protect your accounts. Would you expect the newest high-end home security system to protect you from burglars if you had no apartment door? Here’s what to do:
Wondering how you’re supposed to come up with and remember all your passwords and security answers? Please don’t write them on a piece of paper that you keep next to your computer (yep, people do that). Instead, get a password manager that not only safely store your passwords, security answers and other private information, but also helps you generate random passwords and lets you easily use them across all of your devices.
There are several great password managers on the market; some are encrypted with a primary password, others with biometric features (fingerprint, face scan). Choose whichever works best for you – and maybe you want to give Firefox Lockwise a try? It will store all of your passwords securely and is available for your mobile devices as well as your desktop browser, so that you have your login information ready whenever you need it.
A strong password is important and a first step towards enhanced online security. Want to double the safety? Try multi-factor authentication (MFA) – many services offer it already!
Public WIFI is unquestionably convenient – especially when you can connect without a login. Unfortunately, that means that these networks may not be very safe because they’re basically unprotected. Here are our recommendations:
Bluetooth is a great invention that can save us a lot of cable clutter. However, most people don’t use it permanently. If you don’t own a smartwatch or another device that needs to be connected to your phone all the time, switch Bluetooth off. This can save battery power and, at the same time, removes a weak point that intruders might make use of.
It’s not unusual to see addresses on the internet start with HTTP. This is a protocol that makes it possible to load web pages in the browser. Try, whenever possible, to use the encrypted option HTTPS instead. This is especially true if you are using a public WIFI: even if the connection itself is not encrypted, HTTPS will ensure that the data you transmit is encrypted nevertheless.
Your email address doesn’t necessarily reveal a lot about you. However, if you use the same address for a number of services and websites, you leave a trace. Your email address may become the center of your online identity, connected to all types of (browsing or account) data. Maybe you want to think about getting more than one for different purposes?
Sometimes it’s easier said than done – don’t click on dubious links! Most web users know to be particularly careful when it comes to e-mails that appear to come from their bank or an online retailer. However, when we receive links from friends and family it should be fine, right? Well, there are exceptions:
We already talked about how people tend to like convenience – remember? When it comes to information we consume, it might be nice to just see our attitude and expectations confirmed because it’s pleasant and calming. But does that make the information accurate? Do we get the big picture or just a rather small extract?
Today’s mobile devices typically have the ability to determine, store and share their location. That’s convenient for navigation or when you’ve lost your phone. At the same time though, this quite sensitive piece of information may also be used by apps, even if you don’t want it.
Even if you bought a smartphone with lots of memory so you’d never have to delete anything ever again, cleaning it out from time to time isn’t a bad idea. Why?
Limit the weakpoints. The more apps you have on your device, the more entities have access to your data – and it’s impossible to have the full overview all the time.
Spring-clean your phone: Check which apps you have installed on your device and if you’re still using them. Delete the ones (and any related accounts) you actually don’t need anymore.
Limit the access. Also, reconsider the permissions you once gave to the remaining apps, including social networks, and ask yourself: Does this app really need access to my location? My contacts? My photos? My camera and microphone?
News recommendations are convenient and, let’s be honest, many of us prefer to read content that is in line with our opinion. But what if that content isn’t accurate? Or what if we lose sight of the big picture because we are only exposed to a small part of it – how can we form our own opinion?
We distinguish between first and third-party trackers, or tracking cookies. You may find first-party trackers on news sites, for example. Their job is to notice when a new or recurring reader comes to the site, check out which articles they read, how much time they spend on each page, and so on. They may use this information to improve the quality of their offering and determine what readers actually like.
Third-party trackers, on the other hand, may log a visitor’s entire website visit, for example, for the purpose of displaying targeted ads to them. This even works across different websites someone visits; plus, there’s rarely just one tracker on a site. They often work hand in hand with others to find new ways to convince you through ads to spend money, sign up for services, and then share more information about yourself.
As you might already assume, this information is very valuable. That’s why the companies who have it make a lot of money by selling it to others. Unfortunately, no one involves you in this decision. That’s why Firefox blocks many third-party trackers by default in order to give you back more control over your online experience and reduce your chances of being followed around the web by ads and dubious companies.
Do you have questions or feedback? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we’re looking forward to hearing from you!