Google has a vested interest in collecting and selling your data, but that doesn't mean protecting yourself is impossible.

Google Chrome is easily the biggest browser in the game — and the hottest commodity in that game is data. Whenever you surf the web, your personal data becomes a product, whether you surrender it willingly or unknowingly to any number of vendors, or a hacker slips through the cracks and makes off with your information. Fortunately, there are many ways to secure your Google account, and not just with Chrome's new fortnightly updates.

Of course, when it comes to privacy, using Chrome might be starting off on the wrong foot. While it has many upsides in terms of security, Google's privacy measures are flawed compared to a browser like Firefox; your Google account collects a great deal of day-to-day information about you, including app usage and browser history. However, if you're already set up with Google, there are some measures you can take to improve your security.

First things first, head to the three dots in the top right of your browser, scroll down to Settings and head to Privacy and security. Right away, you'll want to tap on Third-party cookies and select Block third-party cookies, then turn on Do Not Track. The latter is only a request, so sites that receive the request when you enter them can choose to acknowledge or ignore that request at their own discretion.

Before looking at more settings in this area, there are more privacy-specific toggles to be checked elsewhere.

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