When you use the internet every day to do everything from check your email to make purchases, you probably aren’t thinking too much about which actions might be making your personal information and data more vulnerable to cyber criminals.
It is important to be aware of what might end up increasing your risk of having your information compromised or stolen. So, continue reading to learn about a few habits that aren’t all that safe, yet are mistakes that a lot of people make online.
Giving Out Your Personal Information to Anyone Who Asks
Only sharing your personal information with reputable businesses is a smart way to help keep it as safe as possible. So, before you do any shopping online, verify that the website you are about to purchase from is a legitimate business and has a safe payment method in place that you can use to make a purchase.
Also, avoid oversharing personal information on social media, as this can make you vulnerable online, especially if your profiles are not set to private or you add anyone who requests to join your network. Put simply, if you share personal details about yourself on social media, someone who has bad intentions may be able to use that info to look up even more details about you, such as your home address and phone number.
Keeping Your Information on People Search Sites
Speaking of people tracking down more information about you, if your personal details can be found on people search websites, you might want to consider opting out of those sites to have your info removed.
To get an idea of what we’re talking about, go to Nuwber and type in your full name. See if any listings appear that showcase your contact details and give the option of performing a background check on you. If you can do it, anyone can—yikes! So, if you want to reduce your vulnerability in this area, you can simply follow the opt out instructions on these types of websites to keep your data more secure.
Not Using Security Software
Not all websites are safe, and hackers are always trying to find vulnerabilities so they can exploit them and steal valuable data. With the right security software in place, however, you can surf the World Wide Web with greater confidence, especially if you use a program that will alert you if you are about to visit a potentially dangerous website.
Security software can provide you with a variety of features that can help keep your data secure, and it can also help you scan for and remove various threats, such as viruses and malware. If you don’t yet have a good security system on your computer, consider looking for one that will suit your needs.
Using the Same Password All the Time
Finally, when it comes to reducing vulnerability online, another smart step is to use a different password for every account you open, and changing those passwords on a regular basis.
Make sure the passwords are hard to guess, so use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. And consider adding two-factor authentication as well if you haven’t done so already. This can help reduce your vulnerability when it comes to hackers being able to figure out your passwords and log into your accounts.
Or use a password manager like RoboForm.
