What Any Website Can Find Out About You: The Insidious Backend

Contents:

• What is BackEnd and how does it track you?
• How websites collect data
• What do platforms know about you?
• Why do they collect data?
• Is it dangerous?
• How to protect your information?
• Rules of conduct on the Internet

What is the BackEnd and how does it track you?

The backend is the "behind the scenes" of the site where data is processed.For example, the messages you send and receive are stored on the backend. With its help, sites collect various data about users.

• Personal information: name, age, email address. We provide it to the site ourselves upon registration;
• Actions on the site:Frequently visited pages, time spent on each;
• Visitor location:Sites often request this information from the user. For example, online stores ask for the city of residence upon login;
• Technical data:Browser type, device operating system, IP address for analysis and optimization of the site;
• Device information: its type and technical characteristics.

Companies use this data for various purposes: improving the user experience on the site or protecting users from fraudsters.

How websites collect data

• Cookies.These are text files that a website transfers to your browser when you visit it. The files contain information that allows the site to "remember" you when you return. For example, thanks to cookies, a site can remember your login, preferences in settings, or items in a shopping cart;

• Sessions.This is a mechanism that stores data about individual visitors during a visit to a site. Unlike cookies, the information is stored on the server, not in the browser. Sessions help track user actions on the site without entering a login and password on each page;
• Tracking pixels.These are a couple of lines of code that are embedded in websites and emails. The user does not see them. Thanks to the code, companies collect information about how the user interacts with the page or opens the email. This can be data on the time of the visit, IP address, browser type, and clicks. Tracking pixels are often used in contextual advertising. Yandex Direct and Google Ads provide this opportunity to advertisers.

What do platforms know about you

With every click on the internet, websites collect different types of information. For example, simple data: IP address and details of your browser. Or complex information about preferences and interactions with the site.

Simple data

• IP address. This is a unique number that identifies a device on the network, just like a home address identifies an apartment in the real world. With its help, websites know where in the world you are accessing the platform;
• Browser and device information. Websites determine what device a visitor is using. Computer or smartphone, device model and browser version. This data helps websites adapt to your device to better display content.

Complex data

• On-site behavior.Link clicks, time spent on the site or a specific page, clicks on buttons. Companies analyze all these actions to understand how users interact with the site;
• Preferences.Users leave valuable information about their preferences when they mark favorite products and visit specific sections of the site. This is how platforms personalize content and offers for each visitor. For example, YouTube adjusts the feed to your preferences. Recommendations are selected based on your likes and video watch time.

Why data is collected

Companies collect data to make working with the site convenient. To offer users relevant advertising and conduct analytics to improve the service.

• Improving user experience. Sites strive to adapt to the needs and preferences of each visitor. They remember which buttons users click most often. They know which sections are of interest to visitors. Platforms can customize the display so that you can quickly find the information you need. Also, sites offer you products or articles that match your interests;
• Contextual advertising.Ad units on sites are not random ads. Advertising is selected based on your interests. For example, if you were browsing a clothing catalog, you will be offered a coat or pants at a discount on another site;

• Conversion analysis and optimization. Conversion is the ratio of users who have completed a target action. For example, purchasing a product to the total number of visitors. Website owners analyze and improve bottlenecks that hinder conversion. Companies study at what stage users leave the site without completing the target action.

Is it dangerous?

Mostly not, if you visit trusted official websites. But even in this case, there are downsides.

• Loss of anonymity.Data collection loses anonymity on the Internet. Even harmless data, for example, about interests and habits in a search engine, create a portrait of your personality. Search engines know what you searched for and use this information to show interesting ads. And on social networks, anyone can visit your page, find out your name, date of birth and even hobbies;
• Data leaks. Information can fall into the hands of third parties if the data protection on the site is violated. This puts personal and financial information at risk, creating risks to security and privacy. For example, in April 2021, Facebook databases were hacked. The data of 550 million social network users was leaked online;

• Fraud. Attackers use personal information from website databases. For example, to create fake accounts on someone else's behalf and extort money.

How to protect your data

Follow simple recommendations.

• Using a VPN. A VPN creates a secure channel between your device and the internet, hiding your real IP address and encrypting your data. With a VPN, it is more difficult to track your actions;

• Privacy settings.You can adjust privacy settings in many applications, services, and browsers. For example, you can prohibit any browser from transferring data to third parties;
• Personal data. Don't disclose more data than necessary. When registering, you can specify a nickname instead of a name. You should not disclose your phone number unnecessarily;
• Private browsers and search engines. There are browsers that focus on protecting personal information. They block tracking scripts and prevent the collection of metadata. For example, DuckDuckGo;
• Managing cookies. Clear cookies and use browser settings that allow you to manage their storage. When you first visit, sites ask about using cookies - you can always refuse.

Rules of conduct on the Internet

Follow these rules to stay safe online:

1. Don't give apps access to your data unless it's absolutely necessary.Consider whether a website or game needs access to your contacts.

2. Read the privacy policies on websites and apps.This will help you understand how your information is used.

3. Be careful with what you post on social media.An innocent post can reveal more about you than you'd like. Don't post photos with geotags to protect your address or location.

4. Check to see if your data has been stolen or lost in a data leak. Two services will help you with this: https://haveibeenpwned.com/or https://monitor.firefox.com/. 

5. Change passwords and use two-factor authentication. Don't choose simple passwords like "12345" or "password" — you'll only make it easier for scammers.