Enter your email and win a prize, let us know your age and gender to qualify, tell us your first name and address - if you browse the web, you have probably seen all the clever ways the internet is trying to suck personal data out of you.

It is very likely that at some point you entered your name, email or gender and ended up receiving tons of unnecessary newsletters. Know this - it could have been worse. In the times of data leaks and identity thefts it has become increasingly important to protect your information online. Simplifydigital shows you how.

As delicious as they sound, cookies, or bits of data that your computer stores temporarily, can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Cookies are the reason why you can automatically log in to your web email or social media platforms after submitting your password and clicking Yes, you want the browser to remember your password.

While this may simplify your browsing experience, you also risk being a victim of "data mining", where masterminds collect information such as the sites you accessed, how frequently or how long you stayed on a page. This data may later be used for targeted marketing without you even knowing it!

What to do?

Blocking cookies entirely will make some sites non-functional. This is why it's simply better to clear browsing data every now and again. Every browser has this feature, some call it "clear history", and others "delete cookies and other site data".

If you feel that you need to be in control of the cookie-dropping process, you can download cookie management software, for example Internet Junkbuster Proxy, or set your browser to notify you prior to every cookie-drop.

Don't think that entering basic information will have no consequences. Entering competitions gives advertisers an opportunity to use your precious data and infest your personal email with newsletters and advertising, so don't be surprised if you start getting newsletters that you didn't sign up to as you probably did so unknowingly.

What to do?

It's crucial to separate your personal e-letters from marketing newsletters. If you can't help but enter competitions and draws, set up a special side email address for this activity, preferably with a nickname. This inbox is likely to be packed with newsletters and spam, so as soon as it gets too much, you can simply delete it and start afresh. Do not, under any circumstances, reply to spam emails as the next email may come with a nasty virus as an attachment.

With the rise of social media, keeping your information safe and private has become tricky. After all, these networks have been set up to do just the opposite - share your life. You can control what gets published and who sees it to an extent. If you play a Facebook game or join a group, your details will automatically be sent to the makers.

Unfortunately, you have no control over this - the only thing you can do is not play or join. Having said that, you can maximise the safety of your online activity but you can't guarantee it. Have a look at the insert below to find out how a new trend, doxing, can gather data that you, yourself unconsciously supplied.

What to do?

While it's wise not to add people on Facebook who you don't know, you might be tempted to simply because you'd like to raise the number of likes or followers. This is why it is best to avoid adding general information such as your mobile number or your exact address to your profile. You can also personalise your privacy settings by choosing your page not to be displayed by search engines, restrict who can view your photo albums or simply not upload certain photographs. You can also opt out from the "check in" option which publishes your exact location. Do you really want a bunch of strangers or e-friends to know where you are likely to go every Sunday?

Clicking on pop-up windows has never been a good idea as it may result in your personal information being stolen. Inquisitive bosses, marketers hungry for new flesh, scammers and spammers are all queuing up to get their hands on your data for various reasons including forcing you to buy unnecessary garbage, stealing your identity, compromising your bank details or even blackmailing you. By voluntarily accessing dubious pages, you are opening the door for malicious scripts to gather your personal information.

And the worst part is that no-gooders can simply sit back and relax as you are the one who's doing the clicking for them.

What to do?

First of all browse safe and don't click on dodgy looking links even if they say: You've won a million, click here to collect your glorious check. It's a good idea to set up a pop-up blocker and make sure your antivirus is up-to-date. This will lessen the possibility of catching spyware, adware, Trojans and 'keylogger viruses', which read what you type and feed back to hackers so they can steal your logins and passes.

It is also a good idea to download basic encryption software such as Pretty Good Privacy which converts your data into code which is almost impossible to crack for third party vultures. You can also use an "anonimising" (i.e. Tor or Anonimizer) programme which makes it infeasible to track down your PC's unique IP address.

There are dangers lurking in some dark corners of the online world. However, if there wasn't any secure web page at all, online shopping wouldn't have become as popular as it has. "Secure" means that the data you enter gets encrypted therefore impossible to crack, snatch or steal.

Popular shopping sites are the safest ones to use and it is better to steer clear of lesser known suspicious looking sites, no matter how great their products and prices seem to be. Also, when buying something or filling in an official document, it is wise to know when exactly it is safe to type in your credit card or personal details.

What to do?

With your credit card in hand, make sure you look at the URL box prior to entering the bank account number. If you see a small padlock icon and "https://" rather than "http://", this means that you have now entered a secure part of the site (the extra "s" stands for "secure"). If the "s" is nowhere to be found, make sure you manually type it in and hit enter. If the website loads after that, it might have just been a technical glitch on the merchant's behalf. If it shows an error page, it's better to reconsider making that purchase and find a website which supports secure transactions.

You probably wouldn't give your personal details to a random person you just met on the street, so why would you do so online? "New" web buddies or dubious potential employers may ask you for basic information such as your name and surname or email address. While some may genuinely be interested in employing you, others might be grudge-holding "social engineers" who are keen on getting your data to later use against you - for example threaten to publish an embarrassing image all around the web or forward it to your employer.

What to do?

Don't give out personal data too easily to chat buddies who appeared out of thin air. If this "potential employer" is who he says he is, google his or her name as well as the company name and check, letter by letter if the email addresses completely match. If they don't, ignore all emails, texts or instant messages from this person.

As the saying goes, in life you are what you eat but in the digital sphere you are what you browse.