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Chances are your privacy settings are something you clicked on once and then basically forgot about. But it’s a good idea to go back every once in a while and evaluate your settings to make sure they’re still right for you.

If you don’t like how a particular site uses your information, or if you’ve changed your mind about sharing certain aspects of your profile, you can and should go back and update your privacy settings. If you prefer not to share any personal information, there are other ways to use the Internet without losing too much control over what happens to your data.

Software, such as System Mechanic, helps keep your privacy, well, private. The software bundle helps protect your computer by fixing security vulnerabilities in your device and alerting you to any compromised privacy settings. System Mechanic also helps find passwords stored in the browser that are vulnerable to hacking.

In addition to installing System Mechanic, you can also choose to browse the Internet anonymously by opening a private browser or disabling cookies and pop-ups for greater privacy.

Try System Mechanic for 30 days for free*

Advice on privacy settings for social media

Some companies will ask for permission at every stage where they collect user data, including during registration, registration, account creation, login, purchase and delivery. Social networking sites offer guides or “Frequently Asked Questions” about their privacy tools. Review these resources and refer to them if you have a question about how to adjust your settings on the service.

Also, check your privacy settings on your social media sites. They let you choose who sees when you send messages, photos, videos, and more, and they also give you tools to manage how long those conversations stay stored on both.

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Some social media sites also let you control whether people can “tag” you and your activities, and some let you review and approve tags first. Enable this setting, especially if you don’t want other people to share your activities and location with their contacts.

Also beware of online games or surveys that ask for personal information. “A lot of these online surveys that you see…on social media sites ask about exactly [security] questions. Have you ever wondered why? Christopher Rees, IT specialist and trainer at PluralSight, tells AOL. “I guess they compile all of this information that can be used with other information, and over time they get very detailed information about people that can be used to reset passwords, answer security on websites, email accounts, bank accounts, etc.”

Advice on privacy settings for online games

Players’ personal information is collected by online gaming companies, which raises privacy concerns. Additionally, gaming platform profiles are often linked to larger online social networking sites or linked to your phone’s contact list. It is therefore important to understand what information is collected. This way you can decide if you are comfortable with the game and you can adjust your settings to provide as little information as possible.

For most games, there should be options available to change information that could be used to identify you offline, such as your profile picture, display name, or location. Some games offer additional privacy controls through their own websites, which are worth looking into.

Advice on your browser’s privacy settings

If you do not set your privacy settings on your web browser, you are relying on the default privacy settings which may not match your privacy preferences. Check your privacy settings and adjust them if necessary. For example, if you are not comfortable with web tracking when performing certain web activities, default privacy settings will not be enough to protect your privacy.

Your computer’s Internet browser has built-in tools to help protect your personal information, but you might want to go the extra step and use a technology stack, such as System Mechanic, to alert you to danger zones for the privacy.

Try System Mechanic for 30 days for free*