February

Protect your online information

You exist in digital form all over the internet. Guard your critical data and your privacy.

February 9, 2017

To ensure that the “digital you” matches what you intend to share, it is critical to guard your privacy — not only to avoid potential embarrassment but, more importantly, to protect your identity and finances.

Data Privacy Day was held on Jan. 28, and you can find Data Privacy Day information and tips online. Here are a few steps you can take to protect your online information, identity and privacy.

• Use a unique password for each site. Hackers often use previously compromised information to access other sites. Choosing unique passwords keeps that risk to a minimum.
• Use a password manager. Using an encrypted password manager to store your passwords makes it easy for you to access and use a unique password for each site.
• Know what you are sharing. Check the privacy settings on all of your social media accounts; some even include a wizard to walk you through the settings. Always be cautious about what you post publicly.
• Guard your date of birth and telephone number. These are key pieces of information used for verification, and you should not share them publicly. If an online service or site asks you to share this critical information, consider whether it is important enough to warrant it.
• Keep your work and personal online presences separate. Your employer has the right to access your email account, so you should use an outside service for private emails. This also helps you ensure uninterrupted access to your private email and other services if you switch employers.
• There are no secrets online. If you’re thinking of posting something on an internet site, ask yourself this: Would you be comfortable with everyone reading your message or post? If not, don't share it.