DNA Exclusive: Privacy of data in digital world is just an illusion; check details here

70 million Internet users in India are thinking afresh about the security of their data. The DNA analysis will tell you how unsafe is your data despite the big claims of the technology companies, and how can you make it more secure.

New Delhi: Data Protection in the digital era is a major challenge. You may break your mobile phone, burn it or drain it in water, but your data will remain alive in the universe of the internet. People tend to lead a life where appearance is different from reality. What they show in front of the world is different from what they have protected under the password. Once this comes out, they are exposed before the world. 

People, therefore, have started talking about changing their passwords every 6 months, especially after the drug case of Bollywood, wherein, private chats of big celebrities are now in the public domain. It can also happen with you anytime and all your secrets can be exposed in front of the world. 

70 million Internet users in India are thinking afresh about the security of their data. The DNA analysis will tell you how unsafe is your data despite big claims of the technology companies, and how can you make it more secure.

First, let's talk about WhatsApp data. Around 400 million people in India use WhatsApp, but they probably do not know that their chat, which they consider safe and private, can be exposed before the world. To avoid that situation, you should never take screenshots of your WhatsApp chats with any person or group. 

WhatsApp chats are encrypted. Generally, no one can read it except two persons who exchange these messages, but once you take a screenshot of your conversation, then this gets saved in your mobile phone. In case, your phone is stolen or your mobile phone is not password protected, these chats can be read by someone else.

You should never store your WhatsApp's backup data in the Cloud storage or in the local storage of your mobile phone. If you are using an Android phone, you must have noticed that WhatsApp prepares a backup of your data every night at 2 O'clock and this backup is safe in your mobile phone for 10 days. iPhone users also have their data stored on I-Cloud, but this data stored on the cloud or on mobile phones is not encrypted, therefore, it can be easily hacked. Investigation agencies can also do so legally if needed.

Apart from this, different mobile applications also ask for your permissions for several functions and this further exposes your information. Some applications are capable of listening to your conversations and take pictures without your permission.

Now the question is how did the Whatsapp Chats of Bollywood stars leak? These people are, otherwise, more careful about their personal information. Experts opine that this became possible because of two reasons; firstly, these people did not delete their chats; secondly, their mobile phone might have been cloned by the Narcotics Control Bureau to access to their chats. There is another possibility that these people might have deleted their WhatsApp chats but forgot to delete their data back up. 

To understand how easily your data can be obtained by criminals, hackers, and investigative agencies, the DNA also talked to a Cyber ​​Expert. Accordingly, you can change the device running through the Internet, but it impossible for you to erase your data. Still, you can definitely make your computer, mobile phone, and data safe to some extent safe by adopting these key things. 

You need to quit the bad habit of taking a screenshot of WhatsApp chats, and also stop taking automatic backup of your data on Cloud storage from today itself. If you use iPhone then go to the I Cloud setting and see which application you have allowed for automatic backup. The App, whose button area is green, is running on the App backup I-Cloud. You can close it by clicking on it.

If you are using an Android phone, first go to Google Drive and then open the setting menu on the left. You will see an option of Back-Ups, just click on any app you want to make secure, including WhatsApp. On the right side, you will see two options: the first option is to delete a backup, while the second is to turn off automatic backup. You can choose any of these options, but before doing this, you must check that you are not deleting any important data. 

Your data is still not completely deleted from your mobile phone. Any Hacker, criminal or investigation agency can get your data back from your mobile phone's flash memory. 

Notably, the effect of the WhatsApp chat leak has compelled people to delete their WhatsApp in large numbers and they have now started using apps like Telegram and Signal. Telegram is believed to be safer than WhatsApp. There has been a 64 percent increase in the number of people installing Telegram between September 19 and September 24, as nearly 20 lakh new people downloaded Telegram.

You can still delete your mobile data to some extent, but activities done by you on the internet get stored in the data form. Since your data on WhatsApp, any Internet Browser, or any Social networking applications like Facebook, and Instagram, is immortal and even after the death of a human. Therefore, people are also making their legal will so that their data can be handed over to their heirs. 

These services are provided to us free of cost by these companies worth billions of dollars. This may have surprised you but the fact is that the users of these services have become a product. These Internet companies treat you and your data as a product by sourcing your personal information and make huge profits.

However, you can definitely secure your data on computers, mobile phones, and other devices. First, you should quit the bad habit of taking the screenshot of WhatsApp chats. You should also stop taking automatic backup of your data on Cloud storage from today itself.