Tips to Protect Your Personal Information
For years, we’ve been warned not to share too much personal information with people we meet online. Now you can shop for any product online, manage your finances with online banking services, and chat with friends and strangers on social media platforms. While you enjoy modern technology’s conveniences, are you paying attention to how it can be used against you?
Let’s look at ways that you can protect your personal information.
Guard Your Login Credentials
If cybercriminals steal your login credentials, they can access your accounts and find your personal or professional information. Follow these tips to protect your accounts:
• Do not enter your login credentials unless you know that a website or app is secure.
• Use unique passwords for each of your accounts. A password manager can help you keep track of all your passwords, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) can add another layer of security.
• Use passwords and update the security software for all your devices. In addition to computers and smartphones, several other devices can connect to the internet. If you don’t protect these devices, they can be vulnerable to hacking, too.
Avoid Oversharing on Social Media
Social media can be used to update friends and family about your life, but cybercriminals can also use your accounts as an easy source of information.
Follow these tips when using social media:
• Guard your personal identifiable information (PII) by limiting what information you share online.
• Check your privacy settings to minimize the information that the public can view, mainly use your real name or the same alias across multiple websites. Cybercriminals can scour the internet for any information associated with your name or accounts.
• Watch out for subtle methods of information gathering, such as quizzes that ask for personal details like your mother’s maiden name or date of birth. Over time, cybercriminals could collect enough details to hack your accounts or steal your identity.
