In this time and age, it’s almost unavoidable to give our personal information on certain websites. Sadly, that information won’t be always safe and criminals could easily access any personal knowledge about you. To help you avoid that, we’ve listed down some tips on how a busy person like you could protect your data over wireless channels.
- Exercise Caution When Using Social Media
Although social networking sites might seem like a safe place to share more intimate details about your life, you should still be vigilant about what you post on these networks. Even a seemingly harmless detail, such as your address or birthday, can be used by criminals for some dangerous applications.
To avoid this, simply personalize the security settings of your social media accounts. If you share a personally identifiable information (PII), make sure that the individuals who will see it are those that you trust.
- Minimize Purchasing Stuff Online
When making purchases online, make sure that the site you’re entering your credit card information into is a secure one. Its URL should start with ‘https’ and not just ‘http’. Also, avoid making purchases in an unsecured network and remember to logout your customer account when you’re using public devices.
- Back-Up Important Files in Cloud
Having a back-up of your important files on cloud is crucial if ever your devices are stolen. Cloud computing became more secure in the past years, as large technology firms like Microsoft and Amazon took control of the market. Even some hospitals and healthcare centres in Singapore have started using cloud for easy access to files, data storage and to protect confidential documents.
- Factory Reset Your Devices
Simply deleting an information from your phone or computer won’t permanently remove it from the device. So before throwing or selling an old device, make sure that its drives are fully wiped and that it’s given a factory reset.
Skipping this step will give the next owner an access to the most secured information on your device, even the filed that you thought were deleted.
- Turn Off Your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth When Not in Use
Make sure that the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities of your device disabled when not in use. Not taking this precaution allows other devices in the vicinity to get information from your device – including access to open file sharing networks. This is the reason why your network sharing settings should be set to ‘only share files with trusted devices’.
It’s never too early or too late to protect yourself online. So remember these tips, as well as the smallest details you post online that criminals can use to steal your identity or worse.
