The more devices, digital apps and online accounts you use, the more efficient and convenient your life becomes. But all that ease of use comes with a price. Your devices are constantly collecting your personal data to fine-tune your user experience. At the same time, hackers, and other cyber criminals are working round the clock to steal this sensitive information.
Think of your digital identity as a confidential file full of high-value information – passwords, credit card numbers, bank account details, social security numbers and more. If you’re not taking the proper steps to guard your online privacy, you could end up handing over the files to a vast army of cybercriminals.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were 3,205 data compromises in 2023. That’s a 20% increase over the previous year. A data compromise can consist of any of the following:
- Data breach: Unauthorized access to your confidential information (i.e. social security number, date of birth, credit card number, address, etc.)
- Data exposure: Confidential information is likely exposed, but may or may not have been accessed
- Data leak: Accidental exposure of sensitive information, which may or may not have been accessed
High-profile companies and organizations are not immune to these attacks. many of which resulted in consumer data exposure. Here’s just a few that happened this last year that may have impacted your personal data.
- National Public Data: Nearly 3 billion Americans had their personal records, including social security numbers, hacked and leaked on to the dark web.
- T-Mobile: About 37 million T-Mobile customers had their personal data compromised in a January 2023 hack that accessed names, addresses and birth dates.
- Ticketmaster: In May, 2024, over 560 million customer records, including names, addresses, emails, order history and payment information, were leaked online and offered for sale by hackers who infiltrated Ticketmaster.
The best defense to counter these cyberattacks is always a good offense, so be proactive and protect yourself. Here are some essential tips for safeguarding your online identity:
- Create secure passwords: When it comes to passwords – longer is stronger. Make them complex and unique, incorporating letters, numbers and symbols.
- Turn on multifactor authentication: Add multi-factor authentication to your logins for extra security. This second step helps confirm your identity by sending a text or email with a security code or question.
- Limit how much personal information you share online: Be wary of oversharing on social media. Cybercriminals can act like detectives, putting personal details together to steal your identity.
- Limit app access to your information: Apps collect your data and share it, so be sure to manage your app permissions and control how much access they have to your information.
- Adopt safe browsing habits: Update browser privacy settings and avoid suspicious websites. Also, limit the number of cookies you accept and clear your browsing history and cache regularly.
- Beware of phishing scams: Phishing scams appear in our email inboxes, text messages, social media, and even voicemails. They’re designed to trick you into giving up your personal and financial information, so learn the tell-tale signs and avoid these scammers.
- Beware of public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi networks often lack security, giving hackers easy access to your data. Always confirm your connection is encrypted and avoid making financial transactions unless you’re on a private network.
- Use a VPN: A VPN (virtual private network) protects your online identity and information. A trusted VPN will encrypt your internet connection and hide your IP address from potential hackers
- Use an all-in-one device, privacy, and protection solution: For ultimate device, privacy, and identity protection, use an all-in-one device solution like Webroot Premium and get the best of all worlds –threat detection, password manager, dark web monitoring, and real-time virus protection.
- Keep your devices and apps up to date: Install updates to get the newest features and latest security upgrades. Enable automatic updates to make sure you’re always protected.
Remember that the tech that makes your life easier is also tracking you and gathering your sensitive details. Cyber thieves will never stop trying to crack the safe and steal your precious data, but with a few smart moves, you can lock them out and protect what might be your most valuable asset of all – your online privacy.
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