Secure your privacy and digital identity with confidence

Every individual has a digital identity online, this is a compilation of different types of data including everything from your name to your social media profiles and email address. Additional data is also collected by companies that includes your browsing habits, online purchases and your search history.

Your digital identity also encompasses sensitive data that is stored by different websites such as usernames and passwords. In addition, biometric data is collected for security purposes, e.g. fingerprint and facial recognition.

Online privacy refers to the process of safeguarding your online data and activity when using the internet. This prevents your personal information from being accessed or used without your consent. Taking control of how your data is processed can protect your sensitive information such as passwords and bank details, stopping hackers and third parties from carrying out malicious activities that could put you at risk online.

Protecting your online privacy is vital at a time when digital threats are more prevalent than ever. There are a number of steps you can take to protect your data including:

• Sharing only necessary information - Before sharing anything online, consider whether you are compromising your privacy. Sharing your location, passwords or account number could put you at risk.
• Checking privacy settings - It is always worth checking your settings on websites and apps to ensure you are comfortable with what is shared and who can access it. This is particularly important on social media apps.
• Investing in digital security - Each device you own needs robust security software to prevent viruses, malware and other malicious attacks.
• Thinking before clicking - Never click on any suspicious or unknown links as this can compromise your privacy. Also beware when downloading software or files as these can also be compromised if they are not from a trusted source.

Many websites require a username and password to keep your personal data secure, however, if you use an unsecure password this can make you vulnerable online. The first step to keep your passwords safe is to choose passwords that are difficult to guess and unique for every website. The more complex your passwords are the better, for example, using a random combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters is best practice.

If you are concerned about remembering all your passwords we would recommend using a password manager (like the ESET Password Manager) to store and secure them. That way you only need to remember one password. In addition, remember to never share your passwords with anyone.

Unfortunately, scammers are becoming more sophisticated and it is important to check the validity of a website before making a purchase or giving any of your sensitive data. The first thing to consider is the website URL. You can verify that it is legitimate by checking it starts with https:// and has no misspellings or an unusual domain.

Once you are on the website look for poor grammar, spelling mistakes and an overall messy layout, these can be red flags that the website is not genuine. In addition, you can look for online reviews and whether there are any complaints about the site from other users.

Identity Protection monitors the dark web for data breaches and notifies you when personal information is at risk.​ Our system dives deep into the dark web, scanning thousands of websites,​ marketplaces, blogs, and more for breaches and leaked customer​ information—so you can take action.​

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without permission for fraud or other crimes. You can learn more in our guide titled, “What is Online Identity Theft”.

A data breach is when sensitive information is accessed without authorisation. It can lead to identity theft and financial loss.

ESET provides users with the tools to safely manage their personal data, including secure internet browsing, identity threat detection, protection against unauthorised access to devices, and other advanced privacy safeguards.