Your online privacy is important – but what steps are you taking to protect it? The uncomfortable truth is that there are companies that exist solely to track your online behavior, noting which websites you visit, which products you buy, what search terms you enter, and so much more. Some firms even build a profile on you, which they in turn sell to advertisers so that they can target you with increasing accuracy. Your personal details are used to sell you similar products, show you higher prices based on your location, and even to anticipate – with a disturbing degree of insight – what you might need or want, and when. This precious data gets bought and sold to the highest bidder. And data miners aside, there is the ever-growing legion of hackers, identity thieves, and cybercriminals lurking just below the surface, ready to take advantage of anyone as soon as they recognize a vulnerability.
