The internet, which used to bring a sense of anonymity, is now the easiest way to find out everything about you. We learned in March 2018 that Facebook has given away the private data of over 50 million users. Now that your information is out there and freely accessible to practically anyone, it may seem like there’s nothing you can do to protect yourself.

Fortunately, there are a still a few ways to improve your online privacy and keep your private data private.

Dos and Don’ts for Online Privacy

• Don’t post personal information (phone number, address, school, job, etc.) on anything public
• Don’t post pictures, bulletins, notes, etc. that show you doing something that is illegal or would otherwise get you kicked out of school/fraternity/clubs
• Don’t become “friends” with someone you don’t know
• Don’t post anything threatening someone. Besides being terrible, it can be used against you by future employers and the police
• Don’t post inappropriate comments on public websites
• Don’t provide your credit card information on unsecure websites
• Do set your online profiles to private
• Do delete any posts, pictures, or videos that you don’t want potential employers (or your grandma!) to see
• Do protect your profiles, blogs, email, and cloud storage with strong passwords
• Do avoid sharing private information when logged into public Wi-Fi
• Do Ungoogle Yourself

Free Antivirus Software

• AVG
• Avast
• Norton Security
• Clam Xav
• Comodo Firewall
• Sandboxie browser protection

If you want to go totally nuclear, you can delete yourself from the internet. This isn’t really your best option, as most employers look for some kind of online identity, and nearly all applications are done online.