This Sunday, January 28, is Data Privacy Day. Data privacy is related to how information is handled based on its importance. In this digital age we live in, data privacy is critical to protect personal information. An awareness of how a digital life can show a snippet of a real life and what is shared can have an effect on data privacy.
Here are some Privacy tips to keep in mind:
- Check the privacy settings on your social media sites to ensure that your info is only being viewed by people you want to see it and avoid oversharing on social media.
- Limit what you say about your location and plans on social media and help your children with this discipline also. You’re putting yourself at risk each time you provide dates, place, and activities associated with posts and pictures.
- Use complex and unique passwords and change your passwords every 60-90 days or immediately after a reported security breach. A password manager can help if you have a lot of accounts to keep track of.
- Keep your device operating systems and all software up-to-date. Software updates typically contain fixes for security vulnerabilities, so it is important to keep any software applications that you run up-to-date at all times in order to reduce your risk of being vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
- Regularly monitor activity on your online accounts.
If you notice suspicious activity, notify the companies involved immediately. Even with other protections in place, vigilant monitoring is still often the fastest way to identify a compromise - Avoid using free Wi-Fi networks, particularly in high traffic public places like cafes, airports, and similar places. If you must use an unprotected Wi-Fi network, be sure that HTTPS is enabled for any sites you visit – a good habit for all online activity.
- Learn to recognize and avoid phishing attacks. Very common still and successful! These are emails that order or entice you to click on a link that sends you to a site that requests private information, such as credit card details and passwords.
For more information: https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/about/