Buying a new gadget always brings a good feeling. When you get that new smartphone or laptop, it always gives you the feelings of joy. However, you have to understand that using a new gadget means that you need to set up everything from the start, including your privacy settings. By default, your new gadget will not have any privacy option turned on aside from the basic options provided by the gadget manufacturer. It is in fact your responsibility to make sure that your new device will be able to protect your online privacy for the long term.
For instance, when you are buying a new laptop with Windows OS installed on it, there will be no antivirus, anti malware, VPN, or other security software installed. You only get the OS with the basic apps that are included with your device. Thus, you have to do additional installations of security software in order to protect your new device from any possible threats. Here are 5 important tips to protect your privacy on a new device:
1. Install Various Security Software Or Apps The First Time You Connect To The Internet
Now that you’ve started your new gadget for the first time, it’s time for you to install some basic security software for your device. There are three types of security software that you should install, and if you have installed them on your old device before, it’s the time for you to download the installation file again and put it on your new device. The first is antivirus or anti-malware software. This is the software that will protect your gadget from various types of viruses and malicious applications. The second type is the firewall software, which is the software that will protect your system from hacker attacks. The third type is the VPN software. This is the software that allows you to encrypt your internet connection and protect your online privacy.
2. Transfer Your Data From The Old Device To The New Device
It is also important for you to transfer the data from the old device into the new device. So, if you’ve stored quite a lot of private information on the old gadget which you would likely use in the new gadget, it would be simpler for you to transfer it to your new device. Also, it would make it quicker for you to adjust to the privacy settings that you’ve set up for your old device. Many mobile devices have the feature to transfer the data between phones, so you should use it. If not, you can use a simple backup and restore procedure to complete the process.
3. Perform An OS Update As Well As Update For Other Software
It is important for you to keep the operating system up to date with the latest patches. So, when you open the new gadget for the first time, there will likely be some updates for your operating system available to download. This process might take a lot of time, especially for a new device, but this is the process that you cannot skip. By having an up-to-date operating system, you will be able to ensure that your operating system doesn’t have any vulnerabilities that haven’t been patched by the developers. It means that you can use your device knowing that you are safe from any type of online threats.
4. Create A Password To Lock Your Device
Don’t forget to lock the gadget with a password as the password will help keep your device in a protected state. Anyone else cannot access your device unless they have the password for it. This is also the case for hackers. If hackers managed to get access to your device, they can’t easily access all your files unless they know the password for your device. So, by setting up a password to lock your device, it can help protect your privacy significantly. Although it might only be the password for your local account, you have to set a strong password for it to ensure that it can’t easily be cracked by anyone.
5. Be Very Careful When You Install New Software
When you buy a new gadget, you only have a few installed apps or software at the start. It means that you have to download and install the other software from the internet which can be risky if you don’t know what you are doing. Remember that installing software from the internet should be done very carefully as it might give you some privacy risks. For instance, you should only download the installation file from the official website, or you should carefully follow the installation steps. All in all, choose only the software that has a good reputation as well as safe for your system.
Those are the 5 important tips to protect your privacy on a new device. When buying a new gadget or device, it’s important for you to protect your gadget from the first time you use it. This is because a new device can be very vulnerable if you use it out of the box without following these tips. So, take some time to guard your device from any privacy threats before you fully use it on a daily basis.