How to gain cyber security and privacy on Data Privacy Day in four easy steps

You may not know it yet, but Jan. 28 is Data Privacy Day, a date you should mark in your calendar, as it encourages consumers to stick to good cyber practices to ensure privacy and online safety.

In a data-centric world, information is currency. It can be used to inflict physical and financial harm when misused by malicious actors. 2022 was a particularly bad year in cyber. From data breaches, frauds, and ransomware attacks that crippled consumers and businesses, nobody was spared from the consequences of poor data security and management.

This year, however, you can change that, by adopting new privacy-focused methods to keep you and your data safe.

Use smart passwords, or better yet grab a Password Manager to do it for you

Using a trustworthy password manager can go a long way when it comes to defending your privacy.  Having a Password Manager in your digital toolsets won’t just help you manage and set up strong and unique passwords for your digital accounts, but boost your overall privacy by helping you spot fake websites that can scam you or steal your personal information.

How does it work? Easy: Your password manager knows which password is assigned to which account and it’s not fooled by website URLs with similar spellings.

Get your privacy on with a VPN

Whenever you go online to shop, browse or stream your favorite show, you’re being tracked. Whether it’s your ISP, big data companies, government agency or cybercriminal, a VPN or virtual private network can help you thwart tracking, and protect your identity and data from hacking, man-in-the-middle attacks, dangerous WiFi hotspots and other threats.

A VPN can be invaluable in protecting your privacy when surfing the internet, as it encrypts your traffic and prevents your online activity from being tracked by advertisers and digital miscreants.

Keep better tabs on the digital you with a digital identity protection solution

Because we live in a cyber-driven world, our lives and, subsequently, our identities have become woven into the intricacies of internet use. This digital identity we create and expand each time we go online can bring serious privacy risks that threaten our livelihood and financial safety. Cybercriminals can use your personal information to create digital copies of you. They can pretend to be you to gain access to your online account and additional sensitive information, inflicting even more harm.

On this data privacy day, you can take ownership of the digital you with Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection so you can control your online reputation and prevent violations of your privacy. The dedicated identity protection tool helps assess your privacy risks and stay on top of data breaches with 24/7 real-time monitoring. You can even sniff out potential social media impersonators who may ruin your online reputation by harming your social media followers or family members.

Get award-winning protection to stop malicious actors from invading your privacy

There are many ways to defend your privacy online, whether it’s limiting the amount of information you willingly share, tightening your privacy settings, following good cyber hygiene or remaining vigilant.

However, nothing beats an ironclad security solution when it comes to defending your devices and data from digital threats. Bitdefender security solutions are built with privacy and security by design to ensure that your most sensitive information is safe from all kinds of e-threats including ransomware attacks, Trojans, phishing and spyware. Additionally, Bitdefender’s Webcam Protection feature identifies whenever your PC's camera or microphone is misused, protecting you from hackers and cyberstalkers trying to invade your privacy.