First, some sobering facts: At least half of all adults in the USA have had their personal information exposed through hacking and data breaches. Most folks feel they have lost control over how personal information is collected and used by companies. Many have just given up trying to control this situation, but most want to do more to secure their personal information online.
So, for those that want to know more about how to protect their privacy online, here are a few tips:
Think before you act. Phishing scams depend upon you reactive impulsively to threats or emergencies. Any email requiring you to log into an account or click a link because of imminent danger should be re-read with a skeptical eye.
Be careful what you post. What you post on-line will live somewhere on the internet even if you ‘delete’ it. Many areas of society used social media posts as a form of character reference.
Be careful who you trust. Anyone on the internet can say anything. Don’t automatically assume that someone is who they say they are or that they can be trusted. This is especially true for social media and children. Predators love to use social media to become ‘friends’ with children and then prey on them.
Do a ‘security settings’ checkup. Every application we use online has a set of security and privacy settings. It will pay big dividends to learn about those settings and how to prevent unwanted sharing of information.
Get two steps ahead. 2-step verification or multi=factor authentication is absolutely the best defense against online account compromise. It uses something in addition to passwords to log into your account. If an online service provides the option to use 2-step verification, use it. It is usually easy to set up and gives you options that provide the best convenience for your situation.
The internet has revolutionized our lives in many ways, but it has also introduced many serious risks. Be smart about your on-line life and the internet will work for you instead of against you. Learn more at staysafeonline.org.
Your Information Security Team
