For years, we’ve been warned not to share too much personal information online. Now, you can shop online for almost any product, manage your finances with online banking services and chat with friends and strangers on social media platforms.
While you enjoy all the conveniences of modern technology, are you paying attention to all the ways it can be used against you? Let’s take a look at how you can protect your personal information.
Guard your login credentials
If cybercriminals steal your login credentials, they can access your accounts and find your personal or professional information. Follow these tips when browsing the internet:
- Don’t enter your login credentials unless you are certain a website or app is secure.
- Use unique passwords for each of your accounts. A password manager can help you keep track of all your passwords, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) can add another layer of security.
- Use passwords and update the security software for all of your devices.
Be aware of data tracking
When you’re online, your activity can be tracked by websites you visit and by third parties who collect data through those websites. Data tracking allows websites to remember your preferences, but it also allows third parties to use your information in ways that don’t benefit you.
- Watch out for unusual cookies. Cookies are small pieces of data that websites share with your web browser. Some cookies are used to analyze how you interact with the website, while others are used for authentication purposes, security measures or targeted ads.
- Choose your own settings for data tracking. Most websites will ask you for permission to track your activity through cookies. You can opt-out of or block most third-party cookies. If you want to only allow certain permissions, you can adjust your web browser’s settings.
- Pay attention to who has access to information about you. If an organization’s website is tracking your information and the organization isn’t careful about who they sell the collected data to, the organization could put you at risk of cyberattacks. When you create an account or use a service, read the organization’s privacy policy to learn what personal data will be collected and who your data will be shared with.
Avoid oversharing on social media
- Guard your personally identifiable information (PII) by limiting what information you share online.
- Check your privacy settings to minimize the information that can be viewed by the public, especially if you use your real name or the same alias across multiple websites. Cybercriminals can scour the internet for any information associated with your name or accounts.
- Watch out for subtle methods of information gathering, such as quizzes that ask for personal details like your mother’s maiden name or your date of birth. Over time, cybercriminals could collect enough details to hack your accounts or steal your identity
Remember you are an important part of our health system’s human firewall. Make sure to use strong passwords, use multiple layers of security, and be aware of what data you share and who you share it with.
Source: KnowBe4 is the world’s first and largest security-awareness training and simulated phishing platform. More than 35,000 organizations around the world use KnowBe4 to raise awareness of threats to information security and train users to protect themselves and their institutions from those threats.
