How to Protect Online Privacy?如何保护网络隐私？

尼基·霍塞克 译/刘安琪 Nicky Hoseck

It might be tempting to forget the warnings that told us， “Data is the new gold”， but with reporters still emphasizing that he who owns data owns the future， maintaining some level of online privacy is a must.

In this article， were going to give you some ideas and tips about how to best protect your privacy online and retain control over your financial and personal information.

1. Use a password manager to protect yourself

The average person has 70—80 passwords to remember. As a result， many of us end up reusing the same old passwords or relying on passwords that are easy to remember， but equally easy to guess.

A password manager gives you a safe place to store your passwords while monitoring their weakness and repetition and helping you create new， strong passwords. Many password managers are free， up to a point at least.

2. Use a VPN1 to stay safe on public networks

Public Wi-Fi networks are the virtual equivalent of the dodgy neighborhood， where cybercriminals， hackers， and other nefarious characters are loitering on every corner. Using a public Wi-Fi connection exposes you to a variety of cyber threats.

An unsecured public Wi-Fi connection could redirect you to a malicious website. Even if you only visit secure HTTPS2 sites， some of the apps on your cell phone could be connecting to HTTP3 sites without you knowing it. If youve not installed the latest security patches for your operating system， your device could come under attack.

3. Use a private browsing mode when surfing the web

While a private browsing session4 doesnt offer the same level of security as a VPN， it does mean your browsing history wont be saved and any cookies generated during the session， deleted.

Private browsing mode is “largely ineffective at blocking third-party monitoring， meaning that your internet service provider can still track your online activities”. It will， however， stop anyone else using that device from finding out where youve been or accessing sensitive information， like your online banking password.

Its a step in the right direction but， if you want to protect your privacy online more effectively， you could try using an anonymous browser， or let a VPN shroud you in a cloak of anonymity.

4. Stop adware by using an ad blocker

Adware was sent to try us. It may be designed to gather information so we only see relevant adverts in our social media feeds， but its gone way beyond the call of duty5.

Some adware is so persistent， it will follow you through cyberspace， tracking your digital footprint and gathering up crumbs of information about your location. Once its finished， it will       inundate6 you with adverts that interrupt your browsing experience， devour your mobile data， and eat away at7 your devices battery life.

Standalone adblockers like AdBlock Plus and uBlock Origin， are available as free browser extensions and some antivirus software and VPN providers bundle8 ad blockers into their suite of cybersecurity tools.

5. Update your privacy settings on social media account

You may have， inadvertently， given all sorts of apps and websites permission to interact with Facebook using your profile. You can， if you have a morning to spare， use Facebooks Off-Facebook Activity tool to track them down and close them down but， I warn you， its not easy but it is worth it.

Its advisable to tweak a few settings to improve your online privacy. These include：

· Not using location data when posting

· Preventing users from tagging you in photos

· Hiding your email address and phone number

· Turning off personalization and data

· Not giving Twitter permission to access your address book

6. Turn off your location

Turning your location on your cellphone is understandable if youre looking for a specific address or want to find the nearest coffee shop. Once youve found what you were looking for， however， you should turn your location off again.

Leaving it open could mean giving unknown companies and peeping Toms9 more insights into your life that youd give your best friend.

Turn your location off or use a VPN to hide it behind a fake IP address. That youll both protect your privacy online and opt out of “the greatest trick technology companies ever played”—“persuading society to surveil itself”.

7. Limit your applications access to personal data and settings

Before you agree to an app collecting data or monitoring your whereabouts， think about whether it really needs that information to operate—and whether you want to share it.

Some apps are rather more cagey. The Washington Post ran an article pointing out that， on the average iPhone， apps are using trackers to collect and share around 1.5GB of data over 30 days.

While you can stop them to some degree by limiting their access， a more effective solution is to install a different type of app altogether—one that will stop trackers instead of activating them.

8. Encrypt your emails

Almost all popular messaging apps use encryption， and yet few of us consider seeking out an encrypted email service. Instead， we seem content to deal with the spam and the phishing attacks， relying on our wits and good sense to filter out the dangers.

Depending on who your email service provider is， you should be able to encrypt emails yourself. To achieve this， however， both you and your recipient need to enable S/MIME10 email encryption settings， so its not viable in every instance.

Alternatively， you could use a third-party encryption tool to do the job for you.

9. Avoid clicking on links from unknown sources

Phishing is a virulent strain of social engineering11 and phishing emails usually try to entice the recipient into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. The best way to stop them is by， quite simply， not clicking on or opening anything that is not from a reliable source.

You should never reveal personal information via email unless you are absolutely sure who you are sending it to.

While some antivirus packages will guard against phishing attacks， the most reliable way of protecting your online privacy in this instance12， is by constant vigilance and awareness.

10. Manage your smart devices

Having your fridge chatting away to your home thermostat is great if you want to control temperatures， but terrible if you want to control your data flow. If you put all your devices onto the same network， its the virtual equivalent of putting all your eggs into one basket.

As the FBI warned， “your fridge and your laptop should not be on the same network”. That way， if someone hacks your fridge， they wont immediately gain access to your laptop as well. You could also add a VPN to your router and encrypt all the data thats flowing through your IoT devices.

人們也许很容易忘记“数据是新的黄金”这样的忠告，但既然记者仍在强调谁拥有数据谁就拥有未来，那么在网络上保持一定程度的隐私还是有必要的。

如何最妥善地保护网络隐私，以及如何牢牢掌握自己的财务和个人信息，本文将为你提供一些想法和建议。

1. 使用密码管理器保护自己

一般人需要记住的密码有七八十个。因此，很多人到头来都会重复使用相同的旧密码，或是依赖那些容易记住的密码，但后者也同样容易被人猜出来。

密码管理器提供了一个安全的空间来存储密码，同时还可以监控其安全性和重复性，并帮助创建安全性强的新密码。许多密码管理器都是免费的，至少一定程度上是免费的。

2. 在公共网络使用虚拟专用网络（VPN）保障安全

公共无线（Wi-Fi）网络实际上相当于一个危险的小区，每个角落时时都游荡着网络犯罪分子、黑客和其他不道德的人。连上公共Wi-Fi会面临各种各样的网络威胁。

连接未经加密的公共Wi-Fi有可能跳转到恶意网站。即使只访问安全的超文本传输安全协议网站，手机中的一些应用程序也可能会在不知不觉中连接到超文本传送协议网站。如果尚未给操作系统安装最新的安全补丁，你的设备就可能会遭受攻击。

3. 上网时使用无痕浏览模式

无痕浏览提供不了与VPN相同的安全程度，但它确实意味着浏览历史不会保存下来，并且浏览期间生成的所有缓存文件都会被删除。

无痕浏览模式“在拦截第三方监控方面很大程度上是无效的，这意味着互联网服务提供商仍然可以跟踪你的在线活动”。但是，无痕浏览模式可以阻止使用该设备的其他人发现你访问过什么网站或者找到你的网上银行密码等敏感信息。

采用无痕浏览模式是正确的，但如果想要更加有效地保护网络隐私，可以尝试使用匿名浏览器，或是用VPN为你披上一件匿名的外衣。

4. 使用广告拦截器拦截广告软件

广告软件是被派来试探我们的。它可能用于收集信息，目的是让我们在社交媒体信息流中只看到与我们有关的广告，但广告软件所做的已超出了它们的职责范围。

一些广告软件非常顽固，它会在网络空间跟踪你，追踪数字足迹，收集点点滴滴的位置信息。这些软件一旦完成信息收集，就会将你淹没在广告之中，打断浏览体验，吞噬移动数据，还会消耗设备电池寿命。

AdBlock Plus和uBlock Origin这样的独立广告拦截器都是浏览器扩展程序，可以免费获取。还有一些杀毒软件和VPN提供商在他们的网络安全工具套装中免费赠送几款广告拦截器。

5. 更新社交媒体账户的隐私设置

也许不经意间，你已向各种应用程序和网站授权，准许使用你的个人资料与脸书交互。如果能抽出一个上午的时间，你可以使用脸书的“站外活动”工具来追踪这些授权并关闭它们。我得提醒你，这么做并不容易，但值得一做。

最好调整一些设置来增强对网络隐私的保护。这些设置包括：

·发帖时不使用位置数据

·禁止用户在照片中标记你

·隐藏电子邮件地址和电话号码

·关闭个性化设置及其数据

·不授权推特访问通讯录

6. 关闭定位功能

如果你在寻找一个特定的地址或是想要找到最近的咖啡馆，那么打开手机定位是合理的。然而，一旦找到了要找的地点，就应该重新关闭定位。

如果一直开着定位，陌生公司和偷窥狂就有机会更多地窥探你的生活，而这些内容你只会和好朋友分享。

关闭定位功能，或使用VPN将定位隐藏在假的IP地址背后。这样既能保护网络隐私，又能选择退出“各个科技公司耍过的最大的把戏”，那就是“说服社会自我监视”。

7. 限制应用程序访问个人数据和设置

在同意某个应用程序采集数据或监控行踪之前，想一想它是否真的需要这些信息才能运行，以及你是否愿意与它分享这些信息。

有些应用程序则更加狡猾。《华盛顿邮报》发表的一篇文章指出，普通苹果手机中的各种应用程序使用追踪器能在30天内收集和分享1.5GB的数据。

虽然可以通过限制访问来在一定程度上阻止这些程序，但更加有效的解决方案是安装一种完全不同类型的应用程序，这种应用会阻止追踪器，而不是激活它们。

8. 加密电子邮件

几乎所有流行的消息应用都使用了加密手段，但很少人考虑寻求加密电子邮件服务。我们似乎满足于处理垃圾邮件和网络钓鱼攻击，依靠我们的智慧和良好的判断力来过滤掉危险。

你应当是可以自己对电子邮件进行加密的，这要视电子邮件服务提供商而定。然而，要实现加密，你和收件人都需要启用安全多用途互联网邮件扩展协议，进行电子邮件加密设置，所以这种方式并不是在所有情况下都可行。

另一种办法是，你可以使用第三方加密工具来完成加密。

9. 避免点击来源不明的链接

网络钓鱼是一类有恶意的社会工程，而网络钓鱼邮件通常试图诱导收件人点击链接或打开附件。阻止它们的最好方法非常简单，就是不要点击或打开任何来源不可靠的东西。

永远不要在电子邮件里透露个人信息，除非你绝对确定这封邮件发给的是谁。

虽然一些杀毒软件包可以防范网络钓鱼攻击，但保护网络隐私的最可靠方法还是时时谨慎小心、处处保持警惕。

10. 管理智能设备

如果想要控制温度，那么将冰箱与恒温器互联起來当然棒极了，但如果想要控制你的数据流，那么此类连接就很糟糕了。把所有设备都置于同一个网络中实际上相当于把所有鸡蛋放在同一个篮子里。

正如美国联邦调查局警告的那样，“冰箱和笔记本电脑不应该共用一个网络”。这样，如果有人非法侵入了你的冰箱，他也无法立即访问你的笔记本电脑。你还可以给路由器加设VPN，并且对物联网设备里的所有数据进行加密。

（译者单位：战略支援部队信息工程大学洛阳校区）