Data breaches are some of the most worrying events you can experience when surfing the Internet. All it takes is one misused password or one bad digital firewall, and a hacker could steal your identity, drain your credit accounts, and cause a host of other problems.
Companies must also keep their eye on possible data breaches. Data breaches can cost millions of dollars, especially if they do international business and are beholden to legislation like the GDPR. That’s why they spend tons of money on cybersecurity: to defend themselves from cyberattacks! For example, the Equifax data breach affected over 145 million Americans by compromising their personal data.
But although data breaches can be scary, you can protect yourself from experiencing their effects with the right software. Today, let’s take a look at the best software programs to protect yourself from a sensitive data breach now and in the future.
Use These Programs To Protect Your Privacy Online
If you want to capably protect you and/or your company from a data breach, you need to marshal several software programs and tools. Use these programs to thoroughly protect your privacy online.
1. Bitdefender
Bitdefender is one of the best antivirus software suites available, bar none. It’s great for both individuals and businesses. Why? Not only does it include access to a high-quality firewall that’s upgraded regularly. But it also has won awards for its ability to remove malware, also known as computer viruses.
Interestingly, you don’t need to pay for Bitdefender. You can pick up a free version that does a pretty good job if you want to save some money and protective your sensitive information from cybercriminals at the same time.
2. Norton AntiTrack
Next up is Norton AntiTrack: a product that tells you whenever you are tracked online via cookies or other software bots. With a single fingerprint scan, Norton can tell you what websites know about you and what information they gather on your activities.
Even better, AntiTrack offers anonymous browsing settings and enables you to browse through the Internet seamlessly without having to sacrifice speed. Bottom line: this is the best way to browse without being tracked and getting tons of ads sent your way from your idle shopping and surfing, plus protect your financial information.
3. 1Password
Password vulnerabilities are some of the most common reasons for data breaches. To that end, you should consider installing 1Password. This useful tool is a native app for Windows, iOS, Mac, Linux, and Android devices and offers intuitive password organization.
With this app, you can have a unique password for every profile or platform on your computer, but never have to worry about forgetting those passwords or writing them down in a vulnerable location. You can also store your Social Security Number to prevent unauthorized access to your credit card numbers or accounts, even if someone were to gain access to your computer.
This is ultimately the best way to ensure password safety and security in the long run since you won’t be stuck in a loop where you use the same moderately strong password for all your profiles, putting yourself at risk of identity theft, ransomware, or other data breaches.
4. NordVPN
Then there’s NordVPN: a high-quality VPN or virtual private network provider. Without getting too technical, you can use NordVPN to mask your IP address and make it almost impossible for someone to track you or see where you are accessing a website from.
With VPN services like NordVPN, you can access content that might be restricted in your home country or get around other Internet blockers. It's also a useful tool to avoid having your data breached when you use a public network, like a coffee shop Wi-Fi network.
5. Albine Blur
Last but not least, Albine Blur is a top-tier password and privacy tool that lets you shop online without having to review your true information, like your email address or phone number. It also includes a host of other protection tools, like password management or credit card detail protection. Certain Blur plans come with credit monitoring, data breach notifications, data protection, two-factor authentication, and even credit reports from the credit bureaus.
It’s a well-rounded cybercrime prevention tool that covers a lot of personally identifiable information.
What Is a Data Breach?
In essence, a data breach is any digital event where a person or organization's private data is breached and either stolen or modified by a malicious third party. For example, if your bank password is stolen in your bank account accessed by a hacker, that's a data breach.
Data breaches can also affect big companies, oftentimes costing millions of dollars if sensitive corporate data is stolen or if customers’ private data is stolen or ransomed back to the companies or its owners. That’s why data security/information security is a major concern for companies and individuals alike.
Why Do Data Breaches Happen?
Data breaches happen for a wide range of reasons. But it’s almost always due to subpar digital security and lackluster password protection.
Data breaches can occur because:
- A hacker finds a vulnerability in a digital firewall
- A company employee falls for a phishing scam, such as by opening a suspicious email
- A person uses the same password for all their accounts. When one account password is stolen, all of their accounts become vulnerable
- An employee leaves a company IV badge or password lying around
- A person doesn’t update their antivirus software, so it doesn’t protect them against modern malware threats
How To Protect Yourself From a Data Breach
- Use different passwords for every site
- Browse with a VPN
- Use security software on your devices
Although data breaches can occur for various reasons, there are ways to protect yourself from them.
Use Different Passwords for Every Site
For starters, you should use a different, strong password for every website and profile under your name. A good password should include:
- Both capitalized and non-capitalized letters
- Numbers
- Symbols
Use a password storage and organization tool like 1Password to keep all your passwords organized so you don't have to remember them by heart. Any password manager can work for this, however.
Browse With a VPN
You should also browse with a VPN provider whenever possible. Browsing with a VPN makes it very difficult for a hacker or malicious actor to trace your activity back to your home computer, even if you access sensitive materials or visit suspicious websites.
This is doubly important if you work for a company and need to access sensitive company data on a public network. A VPN can prevent data breaches or security incidents at your company, home, and anywhere else.
Use Security Software on Your Devices
Lastly, install and regularly update security software on your devices, like antivirus firewalls and malware removers. Whenever those software programs require updates, allow the updates to go through.
That’s the best way to ensure that your security software is up-to-date and protects you against the modern threats constantly evolving across the web.
The Bottom Line
Overall, digital security is an ongoing effort and one that you must take seriously to minimize the risk of identity theft or data breaches. Fortunately, the right tools can make it much easier for you to accomplish this task.
That includes choosing the right phone! Indeed, some mobile phones are better for digital security than others. Navi can help you find the perfect phone for your needs and your data protection and no time; check out our phone navigator page for more information!
Sources:
Equifax Data Breach Settlement | Federal Trade Commission
