The pervasive use of the internet for business and personal matters and the proliferation of hacking, emphasizes the importance for everyone to be careful in protecting their business and personal data.

 

You may not give your search history much thought, but by practicing good browser hygiene, you can help maintain your privacy online.

 

Your search history in your computer or smartphone is like a diary of your life. If you don’t delete it regularly, you might be exposing more sensitive data than you think. So, it’s a good idea to clear your browsing history regularly. And if you ever use a public computer, always clear your search history after each session.

 

Your operating software on your personal computer and smartphone may already have a program that keeps your browsing history private; you should determine if they do. If they do not there are various programs and apps available to assist you.

 

You can also help maintain your privacy while online by opening a private browsing window, called “incognito” in some browsers such as Google. You can close it when you’re done and delete your browsing history on the browsers you use.

 

But when you clear, delete or hide browsing history on-screen, you do not remove your visits to websites. In other words, even though the next person to use your computer won’t be able to see where you’ve been if you clear your history, the sites you visit still can. If you’re concerned about websites sharing your data with a third party, installing a system tune-up like System Mechanic can help. The software helps prevent your private data from being shared with third-party companies.

 

In addition, you must be vigilant in deciding whether to respond to any inquiry you receive online. Rob Shavell, co-founder and chief executive officer of the cybersecurity firm DeleteMe says that “No matter what information someone contacting you already claims to have about you, never confirm or help fill out that data further, or provide them any additional information about yourself or about other members of your household. The way scams often work is by tying together smaller pieces of personal data.” Further, always confirm the email address from the sending party; many are designed to look like an email address from a legitimate party, but it will have been modified slightly. If not sure, never open any attachment in the email or respond to the email; delete it.

 

Bottom line: Clearing your browser is part of following good browsing hygiene. Having your browser set to private browsing or installing robust security software will also help keep you more secure.

 

As always, Our Business is Your Peace of Mind®.