Online privacy refers to the level of privacy protection an individual has while connected to the internet. Today, our connected lives can leave behind a trail of data from electronic devices. From the apps on our smartphones to the browsing history on our computers and even the data on fitness tracking devices—anything connected to the internet is storing information about you.

It’s very natural to hit the “accept” popup when our devices ask for allowing cookies, location services, or access to other features of your device to be used by certain apps or programs. We often do this without thinking of the privacy ramifications.

We all have things to hide. It could be how much money we make, our medical records, or our bank account numbers. Hiding things is not bad, but these are the types of things we wouldn’t like broadcasted on our social networks for the entire world to see. This is why we must strive to protect our right to privacy. Internet privacy is important because it gives us control over our identities and personal information.

People may assume protecting privacy online is all about what they are doing, which is a small piece of the picture. However, online privacy has less to do with what you are doing, and more to do with who you are AND what you are doing. On the internet, data has high value. It’s stolen, sold, collected, and analyzed. Learn more about how data brokers can find and sell your personal information.

Here are a few ways you can help protect your online privacy:

• Use strong, complicated passwords online.
• Be conscious of all privacy settings online and choose the least amount of data sharing.
• Be cautious when sharing your name and location on your devices.
• Limit the personal information you share on social media.
• Turn off location services and deny access to your camera or webcam.
• Be aware of your digital footprint, or your online “paper trail”—forums, registrations, videos, photos, and anything you post online can leave traces of information about yourself online.
• Get reliable security for all of your devices and remember phones need as much protection as other devices.
• Secure your home network and turn on firewalls. 
• Help keep your internet connection private by using virtual private networks to hide your location and IP address.
• Find and remove your personal info from people search sites or use Privacy Monitor Assistant.
• Help block your online activities from being tracked with Norton AntiTrack.

Data brokers, also known as people search or data aggregator websites, collect and maintain data on millions of people, which they analyze, package, and sell without the user’s knowledge or permission. These sites gather information about consumers from a variety of sources—including people search websites (a type of data broker) like Whitepages, PrivateEye, PeopleFinders, or Spokeo—making that information searchable. After data brokers collect information, they sell it to other companies for many reasons, including targeted advertising, credit risk assessment, and direct marketing.

Data brokers and people search websites compile, share, and sell your personal information found through public records, social media profiles, and court records. Cybercriminals could combine this with other pieces of your personal information, making you vulnerable to identity theft.

Internet tracking is also known as browser tracking, digital tracking, data tracking, or web tracking. Internet tracking is an analysis of online users’ behaviors, generally for the purpose of delivering a more personalized browsing experience. While this can mean that online users will receive advertisements and other content most relevant to them, online users don’t know the degree to which they are being tracked online. User data can then be shared with third parties and susceptible to cyberthreats.

Think about all the times when you’ve been on the go, reading emails while in line at the coffee shop, or checking your bank account while waiting at the doctor’s office. Unless you were logged in to a secure Wi-Fi network that required a password, any data transmitted during your online session could have been vulnerable to eavesdropping by strangers using the same network. The encryption and anonymity that a virtual private network provides helps protect your online activities and keeps your web browsing anonymous.

The ultimate benefit of a VPN and an AntiTrack solution is similar in that they both keep prying eyes out of a user’s activities to help protect their data. The functionality and what they help shield is very different.

A VPN helps protect the data a user sends and receives from prying eyes—even when they are using an unsecured public Wi-Fi. It can help block information about your physical location, keep your data private, and help prevent snooping while on public Wi-Fi.

AntiTrack helps to maintain a user’s privacy by masking their identity and fending off attempts to collect their user data or track their online activities and viewing habits. It allows you to browse privately and block tracking and profiling attempts from companies, help prevents sites from accessing unique information about you, and blocks cookies to give you greater privacy.

• Privacy Monitor is available as a standard feature in LifeLock Standard, LifeLock Advantage, LifeLock Ultimate Plus, Norton 360 Deluxe, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage, and Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus. 
• Privacy Monitor Assistant is a standalone white-glove service available as a paid add-on service for use by primary plan members.
• Norton Secure VPN is included in all Norton 360 plans—Norton 360 Standard, Norton 360 for Gamers, Norton 360 Deluxe, Norton 360 with LifeLock Select, Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage, and Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus—but also available as a standalone feature.
• Norton AntiTrack is a standalone app and browser extension that helps keep your online activities and digital footprint private.