Unfortunately, technological advancement has brought with it increased security issues. An alarming amount of identity theft is being conducted globally, resulting in sensitive data being stolen and even financial accounts being accessed. The ingenuity of cyber criminals and hackers seems to keep pace with the evolving security measures implemented by organizations and built into computers, laptops and phones. Here are a few ways to safeguard your privacy.
Choosing Passwords
Our PCs, laptops and phones all require passwords to be entered, as do many of the websites we visit each day, including our social media profiles. Naturally, many find the sheer number of passwords that need to be remembered a challenge, but it is essential that you create a different and difficult password for each site you use. A cyber criminal gaining access to one of your accounts will easily access your other sites if you use the same password. Don’t present them with the opportunity, create and memorize different passwords for different accounts.Sharing Personal Information
It is extremely important to reduce the amount of personal information you provide on websites, but particularly on social media networking sites, which are scanned by some hackers for clues to passwords or for enough personal data, such as job details, date of birth, family members and personal history, to create a credible fake version of you and steal your identity. Criminals are very cunning, providing a large amount of your personal data simply opens the door to them. When using internet banking sites and social media sign in pages it is crucial that you check the page is legitimate, as many cyber criminals are fabricating authentic looking sign in pages to steal passwords. If unsure, close it down.Be Careful in Choosing Websites
The dangers of identity theft can be reduced by only visiting sites you know to be reputable. Many anti-virus packages scan the site beforehand and give a security rating by the side of the site before it is entered. There really is no substitute for high quality anti-virus software, so make sure you purchase it and install it on all your devices. Never give any kind of personal details to a site you don’t trust. Likewise, if you must purchase goods online, always ensure the website has adequate encryption enabled. Your web browser should inform you that the website is using secure SSL encryption to protect your personal data, look for the green padlock icon. PayPal is also an excellent way to make payments, as your credit card details are not shared with the other party.Extra Web Security – Secure Connection – HTTPS
It is also possible to encrypt your Facebook sessions. Firstly, encrypt your login by setting your Facebook bookmark to https://www.facebook.com, this will ensure your username and password will always be encrypted. To encrypt your Facebook sessions, simply go to the “Account” menu, select “Account Settings” and scroll down to “Account Security” before clicking on “Change”. Now simply check the box that reads “Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible”. It pays to be as secure as possible, even when social networking.Security Over Mobile Phone
Mobile phone technology has advanced to the point where we now use them to browse the internet, send emails and organize our daily schedules. This means that a huge amount of personal data is held on our tiny handsets. Again, make a unique and difficult password for your phone and download available anti-virus software immediately. Any text or file sent to you by an unknown sender should be rejected without opening and Bluetooth should also be disabled when not being used as this can be used by hackers to access your personal information.Follow above mentioned simple guidelines to safeguard your privacy and stay secure.
Author: This article was provided on behalf of Broadband Choices; your first stop for broadband comparison.
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