Increase Your Security, Today, With These 10 Privacy tips

by Credit Parent

Yes, it is awesome to be connected to the world through the internet, but each time you connect, you are putting yourself at risk. Thankfully, there are some things that you can do right now to protect your privacy tomorrow and into the future.

 

  • Check Data Breaches – Check to see if your email has been taken in a data breach. You can check easily right online at com. If you see that there are results, you should change your passwords for those accounts and all other so as not to have the same password twice.
  • Don’t Automatically Connect to Wi-Fi - Though it’s certainly convenient, stop automatically connecting to Wi-Fi. You never know when you might be connecting to a fake one or one that is dangerous.
  • Look at Terms of Service – For all accounts, you should check out your Terms of Service to see what companies are sharing your data and why they are using it. Many companies do this, but you should be able to opt out.
  • Turn on Automatic Updates – Always turn on auto updates for all software and electronics. You should also upgrade to the latest operating system for all devices.
  • Lock Your Screens – Turn on the lock screen on any tablet, phone, or computer you use. Don’t use a common code like 12345 or 1111. Additionally, don’t use anything that is too personal, such as your birthday or your address. If you cannot remember your passwords, you can use a password manager.
  • Shred Your Stuff – Every single paper document doesn’t need to be shredded, but if these documents have information like a credit card number, an account number, your Social Security number, a birthday, or more, you should shred it.
  • Don’t Accept Any Credit Card Offers – You can go to com to stop getting those pre-screened credit card offers. You can totally remove your name and address from mailing lists by going to Dmachoice.org.
  • Watch Your Kids – It is more common than you think for hackers to target kids. In fact, a kid is 51 percent more likely to be a victim of identity theft than an adult is. If your child begins to get strange mail, like a credit card offer, there is a big issue. Lock their credit down, now. Check out CreditParent and freeze your kids credit.
  • Keep Your Computer Safe – When you use your computer, make sure to use a firewall, antivirus software, backup all of your data, and make sure your files are encrypted. This should be done even if you only use your computer at home.
  • Be Cautious on Social Media – It is very easy to give out too much information on social media, and you might be surprised to know that the bad guys are watching. Don’t post things like your full birthday, phone number, or address on these sites.
  • Get ID Theft Protection – Finally, make the small investment into ID theft protection. Though you can do everything listed, above, it doesn’t totally stop you from becoming a victim of this type of crime. When you add ID theft protection, though, it is a much lower chance that you will become the victim of a scam.

 

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program

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