How to protect your online privacy

Summary:

• Being online leaves what’s called a digital footprint. To help protect your privacy and identity, be mindful of the personal information you share online.

• Use strong, unique passwords along with two-factor authentication (a second step to verify it’s really you, like a code sent to your phone). This makes it harder for scammers to access your accounts.

• Avoid unsecured public Wi-Fi and use passcodes on your devices to help keep your data safe from cyber threats.

• Regularly reviewing your financial accounts and turning on fraud alerts can help you quickly spot suspicious activity and take action if necessary.

Everything you do online leaves a trail, whether you’re shopping or just browsing the web. This puts you at risk, and it’s why you need to know how to protect your data and identity online. 

The only guaranteed way to avoid the dangers of the internet is by disconnecting entirely and living off the so-called grid. But if you want a more realistic (and modern) way to protect privacy online:

• Be careful about what you share.

• Keep your devices updated.

• Learn proper security practices.

• Regularly monitor your accounts for signs of identity theft.

Here are some tips for how to protect your online privacy and keep your personal information more secure:

For many people, privacy online used to be the norm rather than the exception. Before social media, it was easier to stay anonymous online. That’s no longer the case, even for those who have never set up social media accounts.  

There are simple ways to stay private online. You can avoid sharing personal details on social media. Or you can use a virtual private network (VPN)—software that scrambles your internet connection so others can’t track what you’re doing online. 

The question of how to protect your online policy isn’t just about keeping your personal info out of the spotlight. The more of your data that’s online, the more information hackers have to try to access your accounts. 

Luckily, the same steps to protect your online privacy can also help protect your financial accounts from fraud.

One of the most basic rules for protecting your privacy online? Avoid sharing anything you wouldn’t want a stranger to see. Of course, that’s easier said than done. 

Even if you don’t feel comfortable sharing your kids’ pictures on social media, you might still unknowingly offer details that someone could use to access more private information. (Example: Using information you’ve already publicly shared, like your first car or hometown, as an answer to a security question.) You can always choose not to create any social media accounts or to only interact with people you know in real life. 

Meanwhile, online banking services and things like utility companies will require you to share private information. Still, there are some simple ways to help make sure this data is protected.

Use strong, hard-to-guess passwords and avoid reusing them across multiple accounts. A 2025 Cybernews study analyzing more than 19 billion leaked passwords found that 94% were reused or copied with only 6% being unique.

Two-factor authentication means you need two things to log in—like your password plus a code sent to your phone. This makes it harder for someone else to get into your account.

Be careful when entering personal information online. Always confirm a site is trustworthy. Scammers often use fake alerts or emails that look like trusted companies to steal login details. If anything seems suspicious, go directly to the official website or contact the company instead of clicking on links.

Internet-enabled devices are convenient, but they also offer more ways for your data to be stolen. Keep track of your smartphone, computer and tablet and stay current on software updates. 

We’ve all done it before. You get the update notification on your laptop, but you’re in the middle of working or watching an adorable puppy video. So you click the “Try again later” option. And then you click it again and again—every time the “later” option appears. Updating your devices might seem annoying, but it’s an important and simple way to help protect them from cyberattacks. 

You should also be careful when using public Wi-Fi, like in a coffee shop. There’s a chance that other users on these networks could steal your login information. Stay away from sites that contain personal or financial details, or connect from a VPN to keep your browsing activity secure.

Smartphones often add new security features designed to better protect personal and financial information by making it harder to break into the phone. Recent updates include stronger fingerprint and face recognition, better screen lock settings and added protections if your phone is lost or stolen. If you ever get locked out of your own phone, recovery options have also improved.

Finally, all of the updated security software in the world can’t stop you from forgetting your phone somewhere. Two-factor authentication won’t help much if the access code is sent directly to a hacker’s pocket. Always keep an eye on your devices when you’re out in public and keep them in a secure location. However, even if your mobile device is lost, a strong lock code can provide a last line of defense. 

For more information, the Federal Trade Commission offers tips on how to help protect your phone from hackers. These can help keep your identity, money, email and social media accounts safe.

Celebrities and public figures often hire dedicated firms to protect their identities, but most of us can’t do that. Still, the average person can take steps to avoid identity theft. Start by taking the right security measures and regularly checking your accounts for unusual activity.    

A lot of the same general guidelines for how to protect your online privacy can also help prevent identity theft. Having strong passwords, using two-factor authentication whenever possible and being careful about what you share on social media can make it harder to steal your identity.

You can’t completely protect yourself without going off the grid entirely, however. That’s why it’s important to regularly monitor your financial accounts for unusual activity. For example, if you see charges to your credit card that you don’t remember making, immediately let your issuer know. Also consider freezing your card and changing your passwords. Work with your financial institutions—from banks to credit card issuers—to enroll in all options to receive alerts about unusual activity.

Understanding how to protect your online privacy is important in today’s world. A few simple habits can go a long way toward keeping your personal information secure and reducing your risk of identity theft.

• Be careful about what you share. Your online activity creates a digital trail. Keeping personal details private helps reduce risks to your identity and finances.

• Make security a habit. Use strong, unique passwords for every account and enable two-factor authentication. Watch out for messages or links that seem suspicious.

• Protect your connections and devices. Avoid unsecured public Wi-Fi and lock your devices with passcodes or biometrics. Also be sure never to leave them out of sight.

• Stay alert to unusual activity. Review your bank and credit card statements regularly, turn on account alerts and act quickly if something doesn’t look right.

Now that you know more about how to protect your online privacy, you can stress less. Modern online banking systems also offer many protections, including the option to freeze your account if you misplace your card or notice a strange charge.