How to Protect Your Personal Information Online?

There is good reason for careful handling your personal data. Once the information is published on the Internet is accessible throughout the world and can only be bad to remove. Social networks such as Facebook, Flickr and the others like to collect large amounts of very personal information about each member. Their business model is based on this resource for advertising clients. Instead, members cannot be protected by strict filter settings as well. E-mail address and other contact information that is used by companies that operate illegally for advertising e-mails that are not requested.

Why is it important to protect personal information on the Internet?

(1) Contact information such as phone number or e-mail address and also pictures of embarrassing situations can be misused for harassment and cyber-bullying.

(2) Credit card numbers, bank account details and other sensitive information can end up in the hands of fraudsters and cause considerable financial loss.

(3) Those who participate in sweepstakes, ordered Newsletter or go shopping on the net, can not get past forms. Here especially contact information will be queried. At each visit a Web page, but also the so-called IP address of the user is (IE the "address" of his computer) visible to the operator of the site.

(4) In addition, "cookies" peeking out of your surfing behavior. The small files that are stored on each visit a web page on your hard drive, remember which side you have when visiting and can create a great user profile about you. You can determine whether basically none, any or all cookies are enabled on your computer through your browser settings. While it is advisable to disable cookies altogether - but there are sites that do not work correctly without a cookie.

What should I consider when filling out forms? Questioning each query of data critically: there is not enough actually to contact me only supplying my email address? Why should I also still specify address and phone number? Many vendors try as much information as possible from Internet users to get to then resell.

How can I hide my IP address? In the network there are so-called anonymizer. They hide the IP address of the user so that they are no longer visible for website operators.

Can I make my computer more secure? Each computer that is used for surfing the Internet and for banking, should have a virus scanner and a firewall. Both should also be updated regularly.

How can I protect my account information against fraudsters? Never reply to spam emails, best delete, unread, because many of these unsolicited e-mails contain viruses or programs to spy on your computer. Also query Beware of fake emails that try passwords and bank account of the user. No bank would query this data by email, it can therefore only be scammers.

Secure Shopping on the Internet - is that even possible? Yes. Serious vendors you recognize, for example, the Contacts (it should have the full address, unique business conditions and a support hot line included) or the labels "Certified online shop, "Trusted Shops" or "S @ fer-shopping". If you specify bank details, check the URL: Secure pages can be seen at the "https" in the address bar and a small lock icon on the bottom bar of the browser.

How often should I change my passwords? Protect passwords on computers and the Internet e-mail, bank account, and so much more. It should be changed every three to four months, for example, by replacing or turning of letters or numbers. Regularly your passwords should also be changed completely.