There are several online privacy myths. The most common online privacy myths include:
- Your phone will always select the internet connection that is most secure.
- Hackers are targeting only the rich and VIPS
- Incognito mode on the browser keeps me anonymous
- VPN keeps traffic safe and secure
- Privacy is guaranteed with VPN and anti-virus
MYTH 1 – YOUR PHONE WILL ALWAYS SELECT THE INTERNET CONNECTION THAT IS MOST SECURE
The first online myth is that your phone will choose the safest internet connection possible at any time. This is not true because your phone will choose the connections that you will allow it to have or the ones you can give it. That’s why it’s important to review your phone settings often.
It’s a nightmare using the wifi hotspots in public settings. Thus, if you use them more often it is important to consider having your VPN secured or even avoid using it in public.
It's also important to note that turning off your settings that connect your phone automatically to open hotspots is safe for you. This is because most of the scammers and hackers easily access and collect data from users that are unsuspecting and using the public wifi hotspots. It’s safer to use your mobile data service.
4G data service is regularly encrypted, therefore making it even harder to intercept. No matter what it takes it’s always a great idea when you encrypt your mobile data by using a VPN application.
MYTH 2- HACKERS TARGET ONLY THE RICH AND VIPS
Another myth is that hackers only target VIPs and the rich. This is not true given that even though they are targets of high value. Most of the hackers would rather cast their net wider thus taking maximum advantage of utterly anybody they can capture including you.
You can be an entirely valid target since the scammers and the hackers are not always after the biggest bank accounts which they can find. They can easily manipulate your social media accounts and sell vital information to marketers that are desperate or even give some fake information making it look so real.
The scammers are also capable of holding websites for ransom or even infect thousands of users with dangerous malware and viruses. Any person can be targeted and when these hackers intend to strike a lot of users as they can, in that case, each one becomes a target. You included.
MYTH 3 – INCOGNITO MODE ON BROWSER KEEPS ME ANONYMOUS
Most of the popular browsers on the internet feature private mode except that the echelon of privacy that is accessible by such settings is extremely superficial. To their acclaim, some of these browsers are repeatedly incredibly frank about their proficiency as well as their restrictions in their private modes, but this is for those who read the instructions.
In actual fact, such modes will stop your browser from amassing cookies, through which various sites use than tracking your traffic even though this will not help you remain unidentifiable. It’s possible for various Websites to fingerprint you, by sending the tracking pixels to their cache and thus identifying any new IP addresses.
There are several great browsers that help you remain anonymous as they send their traffic through numerous encryption traffic layers thus hiding your identity, location, and traffic.
MYTH 4 – VPNS KEEP TRAFFIC SAFE AND SECURE
The fourth myth is that the VPN keeps all the users' traffic safe and secure. It’s important to ignore the free VPNs no matter how free and enticing they are. Remember that when a company provides you with a free valuable service then you are the product and not the customer. The paid VPNs at all times answer to you as the customer who is making the payments. The best likely service is a VPN fully featured and paid for and it doesn’t track its users.
MYTH 5 - PRIVACY GUARANTEED WITH VPN AND ANTIVIRUS
The 5th myth states that with VPNs and Antivirus privacy is surely guaranteed. It’s important to note that your system will at all times have a weak point irrespective of how many high ranking safety tools and software’s you choose to protect yourself with.
One of the surest ways of breaching a system has been produced by social engineering as it has also created countless scams which turn the owner of the said system against themselves. the more technology advances the more sophisticated the scams grow and this should worry every system administrator.
It’s important to always block any emails that are suspicious which helps in establishing clear guidelines for data sharing. Viruses have been designed to be undetectable and can be easily transmitted to your system by a trusted source. Powerful ant viruses can prevent most system threats through the software companies have to keep updating their data constantly as they identify new emerging threats. Most of these threats are not easily predictable but they have to be on toes in their progression.