Every year, between 7-10% of Americans are victims of identity theft. And you’ll be surprised how many hackers get your personal information online.
Unfortunately, there are many criminals on the world wide web. While we hear of businesses suffering from data breaches, these scary instances of hacking and identity theft can happen to the average everyday person. And these instances can happen even on the most secure websites.
So, how do you safeguard your private information online? There are many ways to enjoy the internet while ensuring your personal data doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Here are 8 easy ways to enhance your online security.
- Don’t Overshare Your Data
The internet has become the prime place for self-expression. While it’s great to share events such as a job promotion or your wedding, it’s easy to be careless online — specifically on social media.
Try to avoid posting too many life details online. This includes your address, financial information (or pictures of cash), bank details, social security number, and even your full birthdate.
Sure, some of these best practices are pretty obvious. You wouldn’t share your social security number on social media, right? But you may likely share your birthdate. How many places, like your bank, use your birthdate as a security question?
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share your birthday and your current town of residence on social media. Just understand any potential risks that come with posting this data.
- Create Strong Passwords
Do you notice how many websites require you to create powerful passwords? There’s a reason why — passwords are easier to hack than you think. That’s because hackers use powerful technology that can guess as many as over a billion password guesses every second.
The longer your passwords are, the more difficult they are to crack. If you use various characters and a combination of capital and lowercase letters, your password will be even safer from hackers.
You should also avoid data that a hacker can easily find, such as your birthday (which brings us back to our previous point).
- Be Wary of Links and Attachments
Hackers developed a strategy to link harmful websites in a disguising way. They may also use an attachment, such as on an email or social media post, that looks totally legitimate.
Now, more hackers are disguising themselves as well-established websites and companies, such as utility companies, banks, and even big-name e-commerce companies.
They disguise themselves as a reliable name and will attach a phishing file or link to the email, making the link/attachment out to be important.
How can you identify these scams? Look for different contact information. Before clicking anything, search through previous emails from that company to see if the emails match. Spelling errors and “too good to be true” messages are also signs of phishing.
If all else fails, don’t hesitate to contact the company’s customer service line and ask if they sent out the email. They will be able to tell you if the email is legitimate or not.
Hackers can also send these phishing emails out via friends, such as through social media messages. If you receive a sketchy message from a trusted friend, contact them and ask if the attachment is legitimate.
- Avoid Using Free and/or Public WiFi
Public WiFi is convenient. You’re at a restaurant or coffee shop and can log on instantly — often for free. However, hackers can easily compromise public WiFi and can look at your browsing data. If you buy something online, the hackers could potentially get your bank account information.
If you plan on using public WiFi, don’t be afraid to contact the business and ask about their security measures. But just to be safe, don’t purchase anything online until you’re at home or anywhere else with password-protected WiFi.
- Buy Security Products
There are more ways to be safe while browsing. You can easily find anti-malware and virus software, firewalls, VPNs, and more. While these products cost money, it’s best to spend a little rather than get hacked or get your identity stolen.
Anti-malware software can identify websites that have phishing, trojans, and more. A firewall monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. VPNs offer privacy and anonymity by creating a private internet network for you.
There are also various cybersecurity insurance or identity theft protection options, many of which are very affordable.
- Only Browse on Secure Websites
These days, every website should have a secure site lock (SSL) certificate. But you would be shocked how many websites are missing an SSL. An SSL creates a layer of encryption, securing the website.
How do you know if a website has an SSL certificate? Check for the “s” in “HTTPS.” Most browsers will display a visual if a website is secure; for example, Google Chrome says a lock icon next to the website’s name.
- Backup Your Files
What hackers want is your data, which can include bank statements, tax returns, hospital forms, and more. That’s why data backups are important. In case your device gets hacked or stolen, you can still access these essential files.
Where should you backup your files? Most people use the cloud. There are many free cloud storage websites and they all have excellent security. The only downside with the cloud is you need an internet connection. If you want to avoid this problem, you can also buy an external hard drive.
- Browse on Incognito Mode
Now, most web browsers offer incognito mode, also known as “privacy mode.” Incognito mode doesn’t store specific data, such as the websites you visit. Incognito mode achieves this by not saving your cookies.
While incognito mode doesn’t fully protect you, the fact that this browsing type doesn’t save cookies is beneficial.
Hackers can’t track you via cookies, giving you a little bit of anonymity. If you don’t know how to open incognito tab, research the browser you use and discover how to access their incognito browser.
Protect Your Private Information Online
The internet has many benefits but can also be very scary. That’s why you should always protect your private information online. Now that you know how to protect your personal information on the web, use these tips to stay a little more secure on the world wide web.
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