The modern man is in one way or another almost permanently online, a fact that obliges him to hand over his personal data very often in order to be able to make use of various services that are necessary for him either in his work or in his communications and interactions with individuals or the State. Users are obliged to record their email address, their phone number, various numbers and codes (Tax identification Number, Social Security Number, bank cards, etc.) in order to be able to gain access to various types of websites or online services. As is understandable, this data is vulnerable and can fall into malicious hands.
It takes hard work to stay safe and protect our personal information on the Internet, and especially every time we sign up for a new service or buy something online, says the team of experts at the global digital security company ESET, suggesting that we take some time today to learn the art of… online camouflage!
- Temporary email address and secondary “mailbox”
Usually websites ask for an email address to sign up and most of us will give our primary email. Why would we need more than one account anyway? The reality, however, suggests otherwise. When we sign up or even just give our email to access content, we often also agree to the transfer of our contact information from one service to another for marketing purposes.
But we don’t need to do that. What is the alternative?
1st Strategy: Make a disposable email address – for things you don’t really care about.
Some disposable email services allow you to use a temporary email that self-destructs after a set amount of time. This is especially useful for example when you’re asked to provide an email address to access restricted content, but you don’t want to then be bombarded with marketing campaigns and spam.
But there’s something to keep in mind: it’s not a good idea to use disposable email services for any communication that might include sensitive data.
2nd Strategy: Create a secondary email address for links and important newsletters.
For all contacts with government agencies, banks and other important contacts, use an end-to-end encrypted email service like ProtonMail. Do not use your personal email address for anything other than contacting your friends and family. This way you’ll keep your inbox organized, spam-free, and protected from data leaks in the event a service you’re subscribed to suffers a data breach.
Alternatively, you can also use a feature like Apple’s Hide My Email to sign up for a service without revealing your real email. Apple creates a unique address that hides your real address and provides it to the service you subscribe to. All emails will then be automatically forwarded from the covered account to yours. While Android doesn’t yet offer a similar feature, there are a few alternatives, such as Firefox Relay.
- Use a prepaid phone number
Along with email addresses, the phone number is necessary to register and log in to various websites, to receive passwords that confirm your identity, or even for online stores to hand over your contact information to courier services. In general, your phone number is everywhere, so it’s no wonder that most of us are already receiving WhatsApp messages from strangers and scam attempts.
3rd Strategy: Get a prepaid SIM card.
It’s usually an inexpensive card that you only need to renew for a few bucks every few months to keep it going, and in most countries, you don’t need to show ID to use it. The point is to use this phone number for all your online needs: You can link it to social media accounts, use it to track packages, share it with potential online dates, and use it for general anonymity.
Meanwhile, your personal number should only be shared with family, friends and government or financial institutions. Because you use this number on the Internet, if you are called, you can immediately assume that it is a scam and, most likely, that some website you registered with suffered a data breach.
- Single-use bank cards
Buying online can be really convenient, no doubt! We just have to go to the online store, choose what we want and we usually already have our card details saved from a previous purchase. All good. Unless there is a data breach that affects data stored on this website and compromises our card details or we fall victim to a social engineering scam.
4th Strategy: Prefer disposable virtual cards.
Many banks, especially those based on mobile apps, offer virtual cards instead of a physical card or as an additional option along with the physical card. And most of these banks will also offer disposable cards that link to your real card. As soon as you make a purchase with a single-use card, the bank’s system will detect the movement, destroy the information on that card and automatically create new ones, ready for the next purchase. Because it’s a random card, hackers won’t be able to trace your real details. In case you’re wondering about refunds, sellers can still issue refunds via the same single-use card details on your account.
- Two-factor authentication and one-time passwords
Most online services today allow – and recommend – the use of two-factor authentication (2FA). That is, in addition to entering your password you may also be asked to perform an additional authentication step. That way, if someone steals your password, they won’t be able to log in without the 2FA code in their hands.
5th Strategy: Use 2FA passwords generated by apps.
Most of the time, 2FA involves sending an SMS message to your phone number with a one-time password (OTP). All you need to do is type it where you are asked to prove your identity. Another – and better – way is based on the use of authentication applications, such as Microsoft Authenticator. Under their privacy settings, most websites offer the option to generate a QR or alphanumeric code that can be entered into the authenticator app – in turn, the app will generate a temporary code that works just like an OTP. This second method is something you might have to get used to – Twitter recently stopped supporting 2FA via SMS for non-paying users.
In summary
- Create temporary email accounts when you need to register to temporarily access content that interests you.
- Use a trusted email provider, such as Gmail or Outlook, to create a second account to use for online services and website registrations.
- Get a prepaid phone number to avoid receiving scam SMS and calls.
- Use single-use virtual bank cards that self-destruct after just one use.
- Use OTPs for two-factor authentication along with using a strong and unique password.
- Finally, among the things we as users can do to prevent malicious activities – is the use of reliable digital security software that protects us from other possible risks and attacks.
