Privacy Online: Privacy habits
Archived guide
Printable tip sheets
- Web safety tip sheetOne page pdf from STOP.THINK.CONNECT
- Safety Tips for Mobile DevicesTwo page pdf from STOP.THINK.CONNECT
- Online Privacy & Safety TipsOne page pdf, from the National Network to End Domestic Violence
- 12 Quick Privacy Tips for ParentsTwo page pdf, from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Note to Self podcast: The Privacy Paradox
- The Privacy Paradox: Activities and QuizThe Note to Self podcast created a "5 day plan to help you take back your digital identity". Includes 5 brief podcasts with tips and activities. Also includes a "Discover Your Privacy Personality" Quiz.
Passwords and two-step authentication
Boring but true - the most important step you can take to be safe online is to use strong passwords.
- Protecting your Personal Information with Secure PasswordsFrom the Department of Homeland Security
Two-factor authentication makes it much harder for hackers to get into your accounts:
- Best Password Managers of 2018From PC Magazine, updated July 12, 2018
- Two-Factor Authentication: Who Has It and How To Set It UpFrom PC Magazine, updated February 16, 2018
Public computers and Wi-Fi
- Top 10 Ways to Stay Safe On Public Wi-Fi NetworksFrom Lifehacker, February 2017
- Five safety tips for using a public computerFrom Microsoft
Resources for kids and parents
- To Keep Teens Safe Online, They Need To Learn To Manage RiskFrom NPR, February 2017
- The A-B-C’s of Keeping Your Kids Safe OnlineFrom Wired, December 9, 2017
- A Back to School Guide to Keeping Kids Safe OnlineFrom Trend Micro, August 15, 2018
- Don't Over Do It!From Science Daily, April 3, 2018
Customized tips to secure privacy and security on your devices
Security Planner
Improve your online safety with advice from experts. The Security Planner provides recommendations on implementing basic online practices, like enabling two-factor authentication on important accounts, making sure software stays updated, and using encrypted chats to protect private communications.
Created by the Citizen Lab (an interdisciplinary group based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.)
San Jose Public Library's Virtual Privacy Lab
Learn about privacy topics and generate a custom privacy toolkit geared towards your online needs. Toolkits include links, tips, and resources that empower you to customize your online identity. Email or print your privacy toolkit for future use.
Internet's Most Wanted - video tutorial on protecting yourself from cybercriminals (4 minutes)
From Stop.Think.Connect in collaboration with Microsoft.
Incognito/Private Browsing
The Incognito or Private feature of most browsers do not stop the websites you visit from tracking you, but they do prevent tracking of your web activity on the computer you are using. These features are especially useful when using public or shared computers.
- Internet Explorer InPrivate browsingNote! Privacy experts and the U.S. Homeland Security have warned against using Internet Explorer as your browser.
Be stingy about giving out personal information online
- Special Report: Hidden Secrets of Online QuizzesFrom ABC Channel 4, March 4th 2018
- Keeping Your Personal Information Secure OnlineFrom the Federal Trade Commission
Privacy reading list
- Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World byPublication Date: 2015
- Dragnet Nation byPublication Date: 2014
- Intellectual Privacy: Rethinking Civil Liberties in the Digital Age byPublication Date: 2015
- Unwarranted: Policing Without Permission byPublication Date: 2017
- Privacy Shelf on GoodReadscompiled by the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Oregon Library Association
- Recommended Books: Privacy and SecurityFrom the Privacy+Security Forum.