What Is Digital Privacy?
Digital privacy is a term often used to refer to technology that seeks to protect an individual’s personal information online. In 2013, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) defined digital privacy as “the right to control access to sensitive information about yourself.” At its simplest level, privacy is the right not to have any piece of information collected about you without your permission.
Why Should You Care About Your Digital Privacy?
Privacy is a fundamental human right; it is something we cherish as individuals. And something governments and businesses should strive to provide us. There are many reasons for this. First, privacy is essential to our mental wellbeing. People who feel they cannot safely share their thoughts and feelings with others suffer both physically and psychologically. If people feel comfortable sharing details about themselves. Then they can work out problems, develop friendships, and learn things about the world around them.
Our social lives would be vastly different if others knew everything about us; we’d never have a chance to discover where we stand on certain topics, what makes us tick, or how we react to things. We may even find ourselves unable to hold down a job or a relationship if we’re constantly worried about someone finding out our secrets. Finally, most companies use our data to make money off selling advertisements.
Companies want to know as much as possible about potential customers before deciding whether to serve them. If they don’t understand what kind of person they’re attracting, they can’t properly tailor the products they sell to suit those consumers’ needs. This means you as the consumer lose. Not only do you get less value than you deserve, but you also lose out on potentially lucrative opportunities.
Read Also>>> Advantages and Disadvantages of Smartphone Leasing
How Can I Protect My Digital Privacy?
There are two basic ways to ensure your own digital privacy – limit the amount of information you disclose and minimize the risk of being hacked. To limit the amount of information disclosed, use private browsing modes when you visit websites, encrypt communications using secure messaging apps, and delete cookies after visiting sites. Cookies are files stored on your computer that store information about you. If you are concerned about the security of your computers, you’ll need to take some steps to prevent hackers from accessing your device. You will need to change your passwords from time to time and keep track of login credentials in case anyone gains unauthorized access.
What Are Governmental Laws Related To Digital Privacy?
The first major law related to digital privacy was the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. Passed in 1986, this legislation set the legal framework governing electronic surveillance of citizens and established guidelines for the disclosure of government intercepted communications. Since then, several laws have been passed giving the general public greater protections over their digital privacy.
In 1998, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was introduced to protect children under 13 years old from internet predators. COPPA required websites and online services that collect personal information from children to obtain parental consent before collecting or disclosing personally identifiable information. Another significant act came in 2001 after the September 11th attacks.
The USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act created the US National Strategy for Information Sharing to improve cooperation between federal agencies to combat terrorism. In 2006, the UK Data Protection Act came into effect, establishing comprehensive rules and regulations governing the collection, storage, transfer, accessibility and deletion of personal data.
Antivirus (AV) Software
The use of AV software is ubiquitous among computer users today. When we think about our own computers, we often refer to it as simply being “on”. We run programs to search for viruses, worms, spyware, adware, etc., all while hoping that none of them get installed onto our machines. Antivirus software has become so much a part of our lives that many people don’t even realize how much of their day-to-day activities revolve around its presence.
Why should we have antivirus software?
While many people may consider antivirus software to be just a good thing, that isn’t necessarily the case. Since it is designed to scan files and delete malicious code. Before it gets anywhere near your system, you can see why this is a great tool to have. In fact, not having antivirus software is probably equivalent to installing a virus into your computer. And let’s face it – we all know how dangerous that could be!
How does AV software work?
When you first install the program, you are presented with several options depending on what you want to accomplish. You can choose whether you want to protect against specific programs, or if you want to protect against viruses in general. If you choose the latter option, the program will go out into the Internet. Check for any viruses that are currently active.
If it finds one, it will then tell you what it is and let you decide whether or not you want to remove it. There is also a way to automatically update the database regularly so that you never have to worry about missing anything that might be out there.
What are some of the benefits of using an antivirus program?
You may think that the only benefit would be to keep your computer safe from viruses. While that certainly is true, there are a few additional benefits as well. First and foremost, antivirus programs are considered powerful security tools. While they do not prevent hackers from gaining access to your information. They can help thwart things such as identity theft, spam email, and various forms of malware.
Many of these types of attacks require you to provide personal information, therefore the fewer avenues someone has to obtain this data, the better. Finally, when you are looking at the cost of replacing your computer or reinstalling everything from scratch, antivirus software can save you quite a bit of time and money.
So, if you haven’t already done so, start thinking about getting yourself an antivirus program!
Read Also>>> What is a softphone and how does it work?
Why should you use Antivirus in your laptop or pc
Virus protection
Viruses are malicious computer code that infects files and operating systems. Once they make their way onto a computer, they spread themselves around the hard drive and are extremely difficult to remove once they have taken hold. To protect yourself from viruses, it is advisable to Antivirus software download on your computer or laptop. Most antivirus programs have built-in anti-malware technology that guards them against harmful malware. However, even if you don’t want to pay for antivirus software, at least keep up with the latest updates.
Backups
Backups should always be done regularly and preferably on an external hard drive. If you do lose data, it’s good to know you have backups. In addition, it may help to create additional copies of your computer for extra safety.
Firewall
Firewalls are helpful if you are sharing computers with others or connected to public networks, such as the internet. They allow users to connect to only those websites that they need.
Malware removal
Malware, short for malicious software, is a type of virus or spyware that gets its name from the fact that it does not behave as expected. As mentioned earlier, it spreads rapidly and can cause a lot of damage. Best antivirus software can detect and remove malware before it affects system performance.
PC Optimization
PC optimization is a service offered by many IT companies that helps optimize your computer, making it run faster and smoother. Not only does this improve productivity, it can save money over time.
Online security
When using the internet, whether it’s for business purposes or personal use, it is important to keep your information secure while online. There are some ways to confirm this happens. First, make certain you are running the most recent version of your browser. Also, keep your computer updated with all patches and security upgrades. Lastly, make sure you have a strong password to access your accounts. You can also download reputable anti spyware programs and keep them updated to ward off any threats.
