How to Protect Your Personal Data

Why do I need personal data protection? Protecting your personal data is essential to keeping you and your family safe from online criminals. Should a hacker gain access to your personal information, it won’t be long before they figure out how to access some of your online accounts, bank accounts, or even your social security number. Criminals who have access to your personal data can either use it for themselves to open fraudulent accounts or sell it on the dark web for others to do the same.

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What can I do to protect my personal data? You can actively protect yourself from online scammers by using safe practices while navigating the internet, checking your email, and interacting with others in online chat. Don’t visit websites that you’re not familiar with. Every website installs packets of information onto your device called cookies, which are designed to improve your experience by customizing text and advertisements for you. Like cookies, malicious software downloads can be triggered from websites without your knowledge. Malware can take everything from your usernames to passwords and bank account information to your social security number. You’ll be left picking up the pieces of identity theft and fraud without ever handing anyone your personal data.

Data protection tips. Data protection is often an active process we do every day without thinking about it. You might think twice about clicking a link in an email, running a system update on your device, or meeting the requirements of setting a new password, but these are all ways you keep your data safe online. We have some data protection tips (with more on what we just listed) to help you see how to protect your data.

• Be cautious with links in emails and text messages. Unless you know the person or trust the company sending a link, don’t click on anything that comes to your email or text message inboxes. It could be a phishing email. Even links that look like they’ve come from legitimate sources can sometimes be spoofed. Remember, it’s not hard to set up an email address and set the display name to anything you want, so it’s wise to check the source email before clicking any links and verifying that it is, indeed, from the company it says.
• Keep your devices updated. Every operating system has built-in security features to protect your personal data. It’s recommended that you don’t pass over system updates as they’re presented to you to ensure you have the latest security features protecting your device.

• Be mindful of the information you share online. It’s easy to overshare information on social media, so be careful about how much you and your family are sharing. It doesn’t matter if you’re telling the world you’re leaving on vacation or you got a new dog; hackers can use this information to start accessing your data.
• Use strong AND unique passwords. Many online platforms have requirements in place, so you’re creating a strong password that’s not easily guessed. A combination of letters, numbers, and special characters is a great way to mix up your passwords and keep hackers guessing. However, sometimes we get comfortable with two or three passwords and use them to log into everything. Make sure that you’re using unique passwords when creating online accounts to prevent hackers from breaking into your accounts and stealing your data.

• Enable two-factor authentication whenever possible. Two-factor authentication helps to ensure your email and other online accounts are safe even if your password is compromised. It can be as easy as getting a text message with a code each time you try to log in, or as complex as an additional encrypted app. Can it be a pain to take the extra step to log in? Absolutely. Is it better to be safe than sorry? Always.
• Use antivirus software. Strong antivirus software will help to prevent malware from being inadvertently downloaded to your device. Be sure to take the time to update your antivirus software when recommended and let it run scans. Frequent updates and scans will give you the peace of mind of knowing everything is fine.
• Check your accounts. Keep an eye on all your accounts; this includes your bank, credit cards, bills, and favorite online shops. Anywhere you share financial information online is a place hackers want to be. A regular scan of your bank account or your accounts at places you frequently shop is always a good idea so you can catch fraudulent activity early.

Knowing how to protect your data is essential to safely navigating the internet. These simple data protection tips will help shield yourself and your family from scammers.