Reasons for Vigilance When Using the Internet

The internet is a fun-filled place. It can get you informed and also get you entertained.  There is virtually any information you need that you cannot find on the internet today; that is how far-reaching it has become as far as information dissemination is concerned.  While this may be so, the internet is also one of the riskiest places to be on earth. You will have to consistently look over your shoulder to be sure that you are not being watched as you use the internet.  Before you start using the internet, you need to first ask yourself: am I being watched? This question should prompt you to take actions that can protect you while using the internet.  In the remaining part of this write-up, we will enlighten you about how to protect your privacy when using the internet.

Those to be wary of

The government of your country can be monitoring your every activity on the internet without your knowledge.   Hackers may also be watching you with the intention of harming you one way or the other.  Those who can watch you do their works discretely and you will never know that they have placed you under watch.  This is why you too should not sit back and let things be; you need to take actions to ensure that your privacy is not exposed to these individuals.  This is why you should consistently ask yourself this question: “am I being watched” as this will keep you on your toes at all times so that you can avoid stories that touch.

What they usually watch

Those who are watching your internet activities in secret usually focus their attentions on your activities on social media, your mailboxes and search engines history.  When web service providers track the information in these areas, they sell them to advertisers so that the advertisers can serve you ads in line with your preferences.

Advertisers also monitor your activities so that they can serve you with targeted ads.  Studies also show that your personal details can be monitored by various online retailers and e-commerce companies for business purpose.  The PRISM program is used by the US government for tracking the online activities of more than a million internet users; many other governments across the world equally do this and the numbers can be higher in many other countries than in the United States.  Hackers are bent on stealing your data of fraudulent activities and to generate illegal income.  Some are in the habit of stealing from wallets or digital exchanges of their victims. They can equally interfere in your personal life by spying through your web cam.

The information usually collected by these invidiously include the following:

• Your IP address
• The places you visit
• Your cookies
• Email content and queries
• Your likes and dislikes, etc.