Consider this your go-to guide on how to protect personal information online, including tools and best practices that can help protect your privacy and security.
There’s a lot tolove about the internet. If you’re a remote worker, you might be able to takeyour job anywhere in the world. Likewise, if you’re traveling and get a bithomesick, a loved one is just a video call away for some immediate comfort.
However, with newtypes of malwareandcyberattackspopping up every day, knowing how to protect yourpersonal informationstored online is more important than ever. Frompersonal emails and residential addresses to phone numbers, birthdays, andbeyond, there’s a lot of information stored online in need of protection.
Consider this yourgo-to guide for learning how to safeguard the information meant for your eyesonly. With a 15-stepbreakdown of how to protect your personal information, you will teach yourselfsome of the best ways to protect your personal information, which can help keepit out of harm's way.
15 ways to protectpersonal information online
Though you may havenever experienced a cybercrime, that doesn't mean they don't exist. At thispoint,nearly half of Americanshave experienced some kind ofidentityor creditcard fraud in their lives. With1,800+data breaches reported in 2021, it’s more importantthan ever to keep your personal information safe.
If you have nointerest in joining this ever-growing list of victims, take a look at some ofthe best practices you can use to keep your personal information protected.
1. Create reliable passwords
Protecting yourinformation starts with good password hygiene. When creating new accounts thatstore your personal information, think beyond easily decoded passwords, such asbirth dates and old street addresses. Incorporate a mix of lowercase and uppercaseletters, numbers, and symbols to make it truly unique. That way, passwordhacking methods like dictionary attacks can become useless against you.
2. Know the signs of unsecurewebsites
Though internetbrowsing is a well-mastered skill for many, knowing how to protect yourpersonal information as you do so probably isn’t. Cybercriminals are smartenough to embed different kinds of dangerous malware onto seemingly legitimatewebsites. The following are characteristics that can help you determine ifyou're exploring an unsecured website.
- “HTTP” located inthe URL
- No trust seals
- No website privacypolicies
- Lack of contactinformation
3. Enable two-factorauthentication
Many platforms andservices offer users the ability to enabletwo-factor authenticationon their accounts to protect their personalinformation. This adds an extra layer of security to your login process byrequiring you to verify your identity through a means that no one else could replicate.It could be in the form of a code sent to your verified phone number or emailaddress or withbiometric technologylike facial recognition or fingerprintscanning.
4. Beware of phishing scams
Phishingscams are a popular method used to trick peopleinto exposing their personal information. 2021 reports state thatphishing attacks doubledwithin a year’s time. With the help ofsocial engineeringsites — the website version of a deceptivechameleon — cybercriminals use fake emails to lure people into signing into
their accounts using legitimate-seeming sites. The hackers can then record the
credentials they type in and go after theconfidential datathey have their sights on from the beginning, such
as banking and credit information.
5. Avoid public Wi-Fi
There’s nothing wrong with breaking your routine andheading to a coffee shop to be productive and get some fresh air. Just be awarethat these settings may not come with the most secure internet connection.Public Wi-Finetworks oftenpresent security concerns because of their lack ofencryption. If you do findyourself using public Wi-Fi, consider a VPN to have some sense of privacy andsecurity.
6. Use a VPN
In a world filledwith digital nomads and mobile devices, understanding thebenefits of VPNscould change your cybersecurity lifestyle. Hackersconstantly take advantage of cafe-dwellers looking for a change of scenery,using the non-encrypted public Wi-Fi to break into their devices. AVPNhelps by masking yourIP addressso no one can track where you go, what you type,and which links you click.
7. Consider an ad-blocker
We've all dealt withan annoying pop-up ad every now and then. But we might not all realize thatsome of these ads have cybercriminals hiding behind them. Hackers often use adsto install drive-by downloads onto your device without your knowledge once youclick it, compromising your personal information without giving you the propertime to react. An ad-blocker can prevent these ads from appearing in the firstplace, potentially lowering your risk for infection.
8. Make social media accountsprivate
It’s OK to admitthat getting a little attention onsocial mediacan feel good. But this attention shouldn’t be atthe expense of your Cyber Safety. To limit the chances of cybercriminalsgetting instant access to some of your personal details, put restrictions onwho can view your profile and the information associated with it.
9. Delete old/unused accounts
Your old and/orunused online accounts may be housing existing payment and contact informationthat you don’t want lying around just anywhere. Because of therising reports of data breaches, it’s a best practice to delete accounts onwebsites you don’t make use of anymore. If the site does fall victim to a databreach, at least you were thinking two steps ahead of the data thieves.
10. Take advantage of privatebrowsing
Many search enginesoffer the ability to useprivate browsingfeatures, allowing you to search the internetsecurely without the third parties — or worse, cybercriminals — from trackingyour every move. By halting any search records, browsing history, and cookiestemporarily, identity and data thieves may have a really hard time making youtheir next target.
To stop trackingyour search records, browsing history, and cookies temporarily. This can helpmake your data harder to access for identity and data thieves trying to takeadvantage of your private information.
11. Protect mobile devices
Oursmartphoneshold a lot of personal data. Banking and healthdetails might be stored ondigital walletsand apps as well as potentially sensitive workfiles and emails. Avoid compromising your mobile device by remembering thefollowing:
- Never answer and/orcall back numbers fromspam text messages
- Never click on linksincluded in spam text messages
- Create a securityPIN for your lock screen
- Remember to updatesecurity software
12. Explore anonymous searchengines
Similar to privatebrowsing, anonymous search engines do a great job of maximizing your onlineprivacy. These browsers clean up any bread crumbs you might leave behind by erasingyour history, search records, and cookies as you go.
13. Backup data regularly
Ransomwareand other types of aggressive malware have ahistory of destroying important files belonging to undeserving victims. Ameasure you can take to protect yourself is remembering toback up yourinformation, whether that be in thecloudor on a suitablememory stick.
14. Always update securitysoftware
Hackers look for security flaws in devices to find a way onto networks where they don’t belong.A way to help keep them out is by installing security updates onto your devicesas soon as they become available or by enabling auto-updates. This can helpresolve any newly discovered vulnerabilities that could put your personalinformation at risk.
15. Download antivirus software
For a solution youcan rely on across-the-board, consider downloading trustedantivirus software. With 24/7 security protection safeguarding yourdevice fromemerging cyberthreats, your fears of data and identity thieves maydwindle significantly. And if the system does detect a threat, it can notifyyou immediately before you incur any significant damage.
No matter yourreason for being online, we could all benefit from some more insight into howto protect the personal information we care most about. Fromcyberstalkingtointernet tracking, there are a number of online threats to be awareof. With these useful tips, you could make launching these kinds ofcyberattacks extremely difficult for online fraudsters.
Cyber threats have evolved, and so have we.
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Editorial note:Our articles provide educational information for you. Our offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about Cyber Safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses. The Norton and LifeLock brands are part of Gen Digital Inc.
