20+ Online Privacy Tips to Protect Your Data in 2025

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the single most important privacy tool you can use. It encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP address, making it virtually impossible for anyone to track your online activities.

What a VPN protects you from:

• ISP tracking and selling your browsing history
• Government surveillance and mass data collection
• Hackers on public Wi-Fi networks
• Advertisers building profiles about you
• Websites tracking your location and identity

Recommended: NordVPN offers military-grade encryption, verified no-logs policy, and 6,400+ servers worldwide. Learn how to set up a VPN.

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your accounts. Even if someone steals your password, they can't access your account without the second factor (usually a code from your phone).

Best practices:

• Use an authenticator app (Google Authenticator, Authy) instead of SMS
• Enable 2FA on email, banking, social media, and cloud storage
• Save backup codes in a secure location
• Consider hardware security keys (YubiKey) for critical accounts

Weak or reused passwords are one of the biggest security vulnerabilities. A single data breach can compromise multiple accounts if you reuse passwords.

Password best practices:

• Use passwords with at least 16 characters
• Combine uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols
• Never reuse passwords across different sites
• Use a password manager (1Password, Bitwarden) to generate and store passwords
• Change passwords immediately after any suspected breach

Your browser is your window to the internet, and many popular browsers collect extensive data about you. Privacy-focused browsers block trackers by default and don't sell your data.

Best privacy browsers:

• Brave: Built-in ad and tracker blocking, Chromium-based
• Firefox: Open-source with strong privacy features
• Tor Browser: Maximum anonymity for sensitive browsing

Avoid: Browsers that track your activity and sell data to advertisers.

Browser extensions can significantly enhance your online privacy by blocking trackers, ads, and malicious scripts.

Essential extensions:

• uBlock Origin: Comprehensive ad and tracker blocker
• Privacy Badger: Learns and blocks invisible trackers
• HTTPS Everywhere: Forces encrypted connections when available
• Decentraleyes: Blocks CDN tracking

Cookies track your browsing behavior across websites. Regularly clearing them prevents long-term tracking profiles from being built.

How to stay clean:

• Clear cookies and cache weekly
• Use private/incognito mode for sensitive browsing
• Configure your browser to delete cookies on exit
• Use container tabs (Firefox) to isolate different activities

Third-party cookies allow advertisers to track you across different websites. Disabling them significantly reduces tracking.

Steps to disable:

• Chrome/Edge: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies → Block third-party cookies
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection → Strict
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Prevent cross-site tracking

Major search engines track every search you make, building detailed profiles about your interests, health concerns, and personal life.

Private search alternatives:

• DuckDuckGo: No tracking, no personalized results, clean interface
• StartPage: Google results without the tracking
• Brave Search: Independent index, no tracking
• Qwant: European privacy-focused search engine

Your emails contain some of your most sensitive information. Standard email providers can read your messages and use the content for advertising.

Private email services:

• ProtonMail: End-to-end encryption, Swiss privacy laws
• Tutanota: Open-source, encrypted email and calendar
• StartMail: Privacy-focused with custom domain support

Creating email aliases prevents companies from linking all your accounts together and reduces spam exposure.

Email alias services:

• SimpleLogin: Unlimited aliases, open-source
• AnonAddy: Anonymous email forwarding
• Use the "+" trick: yourname+service@gmail.com

For truly private conversations, use end-to-end encrypted messaging apps that can't read your messages.

Secure messaging apps:

• Signal: Gold standard for encrypted messaging
• Wire: End-to-end encryption for messages, calls, and files
• Threema: Swiss-based, no phone number required

Social media platforms collect vast amounts of data and share it with advertisers. Tightening your privacy settings limits this collection.

Essential steps:

• Set posts to "Friends Only" instead of public
• Disable location tagging on photos
• Turn off ad personalization and data sharing
• Review apps connected to your social accounts and remove unused ones
• Disable facial recognition features

Every piece of information you share online is permanent and can be used to profile you or compromise your security.

Think before sharing:

• Avoid posting your location in real-time
• Don't share personal information (phone number, address, birthdate)
• Be cautious about posting vacation plans (security risk)
• Never share financial information or passwords

Mobile apps often request far more permissions than they need. Reviewing and restricting these permissions protects your data.

Permission audit:

• Check which apps have access to camera, microphone, location
• Revoke permissions for apps that don't need them
• Set location to "While Using App" instead of "Always"
• Review app tracking settings (iOS 14.5+)

Mobile devices are especially vulnerable on public Wi-Fi networks. A VPN protects your mobile browsing just like on desktop.

Why mobile VPNs matter:

• Protect data on coffee shop, airport, and hotel Wi-Fi
• Prevent ISP tracking on cellular networks
• Secure app data and communications
• Bypass geo-restrictions while traveling

NordVPN offers easy-to-use apps for both iOS and Android.

Your DNS queries reveal every website you visit. DNS-over-HTTPS encrypts these queries, preventing ISPs from seeing your browsing.

How to enable:

• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Enable DNS over HTTPS
• Chrome: Settings → Security → Use secure DNS
• Use providers like Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Quad9

Full disk encryption protects your data if your device is lost, stolen, or seized.

Encryption options:

• Windows: Use BitLocker (Professional/Enterprise editions)
• Mac: Enable FileVault in System Preferences
• Linux: Use LUKS encryption during installation

Some operating systems are designed with privacy as a core principle, collecting minimal data and providing better security.

Privacy-focused OS options:

• Linux distributions: Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian (open-source, no telemetry)
• Tails OS: Live OS for maximum anonymity
• Qubes OS: Security through isolation

Data brokers collect and sell your personal information. Opting out reduces your digital footprint.

How to opt out:

• Visit major data broker websites and submit opt-out requests
• Use services like DeleteMe or Privacy Duck to automate the process
• Check and freeze your credit reports
• Opt out of marketing lists with DMAchoice.org

Webcam and microphone hacking is a real threat. Physical security is the most reliable protection.

Steps to take:

• Use a webcam cover or tape when not in use
• Disable microphone access for apps that don't need it
• Unplug external webcams when not needed
• Check indicator lights to know when camera/mic are active

Virtual credit cards create one-time or limited-use card numbers, protecting your real card information from breaches.

Virtual card services:

• Privacy.com: Generate virtual cards with spending limits
• Check if your bank offers virtual card numbers
• Use services like Apple Pay or Google Pay for tokenized payments

Regularly check what information about you is publicly available online.

How to monitor:

• Google yourself periodically
• Set up Google Alerts for your name and email
• Check Have I Been Pwned for data breaches
• Review your digital privacy settings quarterly