Collaborative post
With the increasing volume of personal information shared on the internet, you must take precautions to protect your identity.
Cyber threats such as identity theft, security breaches as well as phishing attacks are common things that happen every day online. No matter what you’re doing you need to take steps to protect your information and by extension your identity.
Take a look at these practical steps that you can use to maintain your online privacy,
Use Strong, Unique Passwords
The first step in protecting your identity online is ensuring that your accounts are secured with strong passwords. Whenever you have a weak password that only uses something flimsy such as your name or your birthday, you are opening yourself up to cyber attacks.
Your password should never be something that a cybercriminal can easily guess. What you should do instead is use a combination of upper and lowercase letters and numbers. Throw in special characters as well. When a password is strong, ideally it is at least 12 characters long.
As much as possible you should try not to reuse passwords across different sites that you use. If one site becomes breached then all of your accounts can be compromised. If you are worried that you will not remember all of your passwords, you can always use a password manager to generate and store complex passwords for you securely.
There is always the temptation to reuse the same passwords because they are easy to remember. When you use a password manager you are effectively neutralizing this fear.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Two-factor or identification adds a great layer of security to your accounts. It is one of the easiest ways to make sure that hackers and cybercriminals cannot steal your information.
Even if a hacker was able to gain access to your account they would still need to bypass a second layer of security and this is where they often run into roadblocks that make it impossible for them to gain access to your data. The one-time code is usually sent to your phone or your email.
You should enable factor two-factor authentication on your bank account, emails and social media accounts. There are several authentication apps out there that are great for this purpose. Be sure you are making use of them.
Use a VPN or VPN Alternatives
An excellent way to go about securing your online activities is by using a virtual private network (VPN). It is one of the most effective ways to secure your online activities as it encrypts your internet connection.
This will prevent any third parties from tracking your whereabouts online. if you are using public Wi-Fi networks this kind of security becomes critical.
While VPNs are highly effective for maintaining privacy, they are not the only option available. There are several VPN alternatives that can also help secure your identity. You may want an alternative for several reasons but one of the most common ones is the fact that VPNs can slow down the speed of your internet. If this is an inconvenience to you, then try some alternatives.
Be Cautious About Sharing Personal Information
One of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to steal your identity is by gathering up your personal information. Some examples of this are using fake websites, phishing emails and phone scams.
All of these are common methods that are used to trick you into sharing sensitive details. Some people might end up sharing their banking information or even their passwords in this way and this can compromise their online security.
Be cautious whenever someone starts requesting your personal information online. Remember that when a business is legitimate they never ask for sensitive emails via text message or even emails.
Make sure you always verify the legitimacy of all requests and don’t be too quick to comply. If you do get an email from your bank or a service that you use, always look closely at the email address and contact the company if there is something you find suspicious.
When you are using social media you should be mindful of the details you share. Remember that this is one of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to get access to your information.
Do not post information such as your date of birth, phone number, address or even your travel plans. This makes your life too transparent and someone with unscrupulous plans can take advantage of it. You have to protect yourself at all costs, so keep things close to your chest and don’t give out your information easily.