It seems like every other week, we hear about another data breach or a popular online scam that has compromised people’s personal information.
The impacts of these incidents can be severe and far-reaching, from identity theft to financial loss and beyond. It’s a scary thought, but the truth is that our personal information is always at risk when we’re online.
However, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves from cyber threats. In this article, we’ll show you effective methods for safeguarding your personal information.
How to Protect Personal Information
1. Use Strong and Unique Passwords
Picture this: you’ve just created a new account on your favorite website and are prompted to create a password. In a rush to get it done, you decide to use the same password you’ve been using for years: “password123”. You figure it’s easy to remember and gets the job done. But did you know that this password is one of the most commonly used and easily guessed by cybercriminals?
Using simple and popular passwords may seem convenient, but it puts your personal information and data at risk.
Cybercriminals use automated tools that can quickly guess passwords, especially those that are easy to guess or commonly used. And if you reuse the same password across multiple accounts, you’re only increasing your vulnerability to hacking and data breaches.
So, what can you do to create strong passwords? Here are some rules to follow:
- Use a mix of characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Avoid using common words or phrases, like “password” and “123456”, or public information like your birthday.
- Use a password that is at least 12 characters long.
- Consider using a passphrase made up of multiple words, like “coffeehouse@11am”.
2. Enable Multi-factor Authentication
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is like adding an extra lock to your front door. Just like a thief needs to bypass two locks instead of one to break into your house, MFA requires a user to provide two or more forms of authentication to access their accounts.
By enabling MFA, you can add an extra layer of protection to your online accounts and help keep your personal information and data safe from cyber threats. Even if a hacker guesses or steals your password, they won’t be able to access your account without also having access to your phone or other authentication methods.
For example, after entering the correct password, you would be prompted to enter a code sent to your phone via SMS. Without your phone, the hacker wouldn’t be able to break into and take over your account.
The good news is that MFA is already widely supported by many websites and services.
To enable MFA, simply go to your account settings and look for the option to enable two-factor authentication or MFA. You can then choose the authentication method that works best for you, such as SMS codes, authenticator apps, or biometric authentication.
3. Avoid Oversharing Your Information
In today’s world, it’s easy to overshare on social media. We post pictures of our pets, our vacations, and even our meals. But did you know that sharing too much personal information on social media can put your personal information and data at risk?
When we share intimate details about our lives on social media, we may inadvertently give away personal information that can be used by malicious actors. For example, sharing your full name, birthdate, or hometown can give hackers the information they need to carry out identity theft attacks and get control of your accounts.
So, be mindful of what you post on social media. You should also consider adjusting your privacy settings to limit who can see your posts and information. Remember, when it comes to personal information, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
4. Avoid Shady Apps and Links
Hackers are always coming up with sneaky tactics to steal your personal information and data. One of the most common tactics is phishing scams.
They create fake emails, messages, or phone calls that look like they’re from legitimate entities, like your bank or social media account, to trick you into giving away personal information.
Unfortunately, many people fall for these scams and unwittingly give hackers access to their accounts or personal information.
That’s why it’s important to be wary of shady links and apps. Don’t click on links or download apps from sources that you don’t trust. Be cautious of any unsolicited requests for your personal information, and never give out sensitive details unless you’re sure it’s a legitimate request.
By avoiding shady links and apps, you can help protect your personal information and data from being compromised by cybercriminals. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure to stay vigilant and always err on the side of caution to keep your personal information safe.
5. Update Your Software
Developers typically push out frequent updates to their software, and it’s not just about new features. These updates also include important security improvements that can help enhance the security of your devices and personal information.
Unfortunately, many people forget to follow up with these updates, leaving themselves vulnerable to attacks that can steal their personal information. Remember, cybercriminals are always finding new ways to exploit software vulnerabilities, and these updates can help fix those flaws and keep your information safe.
Be sure to regularly check for updates and install them as soon as they become available. In some cases, you may need to manually update your devices in addition to automatic updates.
6. Use Anti-Tracking Software
Data tracking has become increasingly popular. Companies are collecting information about you all the time, whether it’s through your online activity, shopping habits, or even your location. This data can be used not only for interest-based ads but also for more malicious purposes.
Fortunately, there are ways to protect your personal information from being tracked.
One way is to install browser extensions like uBlock Origin, which can help block trackers and prevent companies from collecting your data. These anti-tracking solutions can help enhance your privacy and ensure that your personal information remains safe and secure.
7. Check Security and Privacy Settings
Imagine you meet someone for the first time, and they ask you for your phone number. You want to give them your number, but you don’t want them to have access to your entire contact list, call history, and messages.
That’s kind of like how apps and services operate by default – they ask for access to all of your personal information, even if it’s not necessary for their function. But just like you can give a stranger your number without giving them access to your whole phone, you can change the settings on your apps and services to protect your personal information.
By taking a few minutes to go through the security and privacy settings, you can limit the data that apps and services can collect and share, reducing the risk of your personal information ending up in the wrong hands.
8. Set Passcodes for Your Devices and Apps
When it comes to protecting personal information, don’t forget the importance of passcodes for your devices and apps.
Let’s face it, we all lose our phones or laptops at some point. But a passcode can act as a critical barrier between your data and unauthorized access when those devices fall into the wrong hands.
And it’s not just devices that need them. Many apps provide access codes as well, adding an extra layer of protection for your personal information.
If you have private photos on your phone that you don’t want others to see, using a passcode to protect your photo gallery is a good idea. You never know who might pick up your phone and start scrolling through your pictures.
9. Close Inactive Accounts
We’ve all been guilty of opening an account for a service we thought we might use but never did. However, leaving these accounts inactive can put our personal information at risk.
Cybercriminals can gain access to inactive accounts and use the information for malicious purposes. For instance, they can use the information to launch targeted phishing attacks.
It’s important to close all inactive accounts, especially those that contain sensitive information, such as bank accounts or credit card details. This reduces the likelihood of sensitive information falling into the wrong hands and helps protect our personal information.
10. Delete Unused Apps
Like other people, your digital life may be cluttered with numerous apps that you may not even remember downloading. But did you know that those apps could collect your personal information without your knowledge?
Many apps run in the background and track your every move, even when you’re not using them. That’s why it’s important to regularly go through your app list and delete any apps you no longer use. This simple step can help protect your personal information and keep you safe from malicious actors who may try to exploit your data.
11. Install Security Software
Viruses used to be extremely popular and infectious and tended to instill a sense of caution when we used computers in the past. While they are no longer the biggest threats, viruses aren’t the only thing you should worry about.
Other forms of malware, such as spyware and adware, are increasingly becoming a concern for users. These malicious programs can be unknowingly downloaded onto our devices, stealing our personal information or displaying unwanted ads.
To combat these threats, it’s important to have reliable antimalware and firewall software installed. While there are many options out there, it’s best to choose a lightweight and effective solution such as Microsoft Defender.
12. Encrypt Your Data and Communications
With the rise of cybercrime, it is critical to encrypt data and communications to keep them safe from prying eyes. By using encryption, we can feel confident that our personal information is protected, whether we are browsing the web, storing data, or communicating with others.
VPNs, such as NordVPN or Surfshark, are popular solutions for encrypting our online activities and protecting our information, especially when using public Wi-Fi. Similarly, disk encryption solutions help safeguard sensitive data stored on our devices, even in the event of theft or loss.
Encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal provide a secure communication channel that prevents others from snooping on our conversations.
13. Use a Password Manager
We all know the struggle of creating and remembering complex passwords for each online account we own. And reusing simple passwords is a huge security risk.
Luckily, password managers like Locker have been designed to help you avoid these risks. They can generate strong and unique passwords for you, making it easier to use different passwords for each account without the hassle of memorizing them.
With Locker, you no longer have to worry about forgetting passwords since you’ll only need to remember one. In addition, Locker offers extra tools to help protect personal data, such as a built-in one-time code generator, secure notes, and item sharing. This makes Locker a valuable asset for those who want to keep their personal information safe and secure.
14. Back Up Your Data
Even though we may be careful with our devices and take all the necessary precautions, accidents can still happen. From hardware failure to accidental deletion, we never know when we might lose all our important data. This is where backups come in as our savior.
Regular backups can help ensure that we don’t lose everything and can recover our personal information in case of a mishap. However, just creating backups is not enough; we also need to store them securely.
Keeping backups in a secure location, such as an external hard drive or cloud storage, ensures that our data is protected in case of theft or damage to our devices.
Conclusion
Remember, a little effort goes a long way in keeping your digital life secure. By following the advice provided in this article, you can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access to your sensitive data.
One helpful tool that can make this process easier is Locker, a user-friendly password manager made for everyone.
Download it now to get peace of mind knowing your information is much safer from cyber threats.
