As we’ve grown up alongside the internet, we’ve been repeatedly cautioned about the permanence of our online posts. However, the need for vigilance extends beyond this. It’s crucial to be mindful of our internet usage and the potential risks associated with it.

Our internet usage is constantly being monitored, and our data is tracked. Who or what may not be interested in you as a person, but they are interested in ways they can benefit from your data. When we share our data with one site, we cannot control where they then share our data. Without knowing what these third-party companies are doing with our data, we must protect ourselves and our data from them. There are also people who are interested in obtaining your personal information to commit credit card or identity theft. These things can be detrimental to our individual lives or to the lives of others. Here are some ways we can better protect ourselves:

1. VPN
   • A VPN, or virtual private network, is a way to displace your internet usage. The VPN encrypts your internet usage, providing a layer of protection from public Wi-Fi. Some popular VPN services include NordVPN and Surfshark; however, there are many different VPN providers to choose from.
2. Multi-factor Identification
   • Using multi-factor identification when logging into personal accounts online adds an extra layer of protection from potential hackers. Multi-factor identification can range from sending codes to your phone or email to using separate programs. These extra steps may be annoying, but they can greatly reduce your risk of being hacked.
3. Encryption
   • Encrypting your devices is another layer of protection, similar to multi-factor identification, that prevents your personal information on your devices from being accessed without first entering a password. This means that if you lose your phone or laptop, someone will not be able to access your personal files without entering whatever password you have set. You can encrypt your personal computers and smartphones.