January 28 is International Data Privacy Day. The goal is to highlight the importance of privacy and how to best protect your personal information. Many people are unaware of how their personal data is collected, used and shared online. Here are five key ways to lock down your personal details.
Take Extra Precautions To Secure Your Information
Businesses like to collect your data so they can effectively target ads and market products to you. This means they often use your location and Internet cookies to track your browsing data. Actively decide what you’re willing to share with each site. Do you really want them to track every item you viewed? Consider enabling two-step verification or multi-factor authentication, especially on websites that store very personal information like financial institutions, credit companies, and medical offices.
Review Your Phone And Tablet Apps
Nearly every app you download to your phone or tablet will request access to personal information. This could include photos, contacts, and location. Carefully think about what information you’re willing to share on each app. Most often, access to your photos and exact location is unnecessary. You can further protect your information on apps by regularly updating them.
Review And Update Privacy Settings
On the apps and websites you use frequently, review the privacy settings and update them accordingly to establish how much of your information to share. Keep in mind, you’re not just sharing your information with a particular brand or app, but with their affiliated partners.
Secure Your Passwords
Criminals get more sophisticated each year, so it’s equally important to update your password game too. Avoid using the same password for every single account, don’t use personal details in your passwords, and stay away from super simple ones like 1234. Do use a complex mix of letters, numbers, and characters. You can even include misspelled words. Of course, it’s also important to regularly change your passwords. Concerned you’ll forget the complicated ones? Use a password manager to generate secure sequences and to remember them for you.
Post On Social Media With Care
Identity thieves and hackers can learn a lot about you from your social media posts. It seems obvious, but think carefully about what you’re posting, as well as who will see it. Is your Facebook page secure, or is it open to the public? If you post about getting a big promotion, or if you lost your job, do you know exactly who will see it? Think before you post.
Call a Member Specialist at 800-422-5852 to find out how we can help you best protect your accounts and transactions.
