Protecting personal information online

There is nothing more vital than protecting one's personal information when surfing the web. A user's privacy is unfortunately not as secure as many hope it to be when online. Scammers and online phishing frauds are constantly attempting to get one to disclose his or her most confidential data. Nevertheless, criminals aren't the only ones seeking access to personal user data.

Businesses and corporations are perpetually on the hunt for personal info to increase their sales numbers and their ad revenue. Therefore, it is crucial to follow certain steps to be as cautious as possible whenever one uses the Internet.

## Social Media Safety

Before joining any social networking platform, it is important to be wary of the personal data users choose to share. One should limit the amount of biographical information that he or she provides when signing up for a website. Many sites will ask users to fill out an "about" section to connect with other people who share similar interests as them. However, the more information one chooses to publish on a public platform, the easier it may be for one's information to fall into nefarious hands.

According to the *National Cyber Security Alliance*, the data one provides could be accessed by thieves seeking to steal his or her identity or commit any number of other cyber crimes. One must keep in mind who might be able to see what he or she chooses to share online. Users must make sure to toggle his or her settings so that only the people they are closest to can view what they post at all times.

Something to keep in mind is the privacy policy of each social networking platform users are considering joining. One should know beforehand if a site collects their personal data for commercial use. Facebook and Twitter both have working relationships with corporations that gather personal info to attempt to sell users their products and services. Always review privacy policies to make sure that one feels comfortable with the site's guidelines. It is also recommended to check each privacy policy every few months to know if a website's protocols have been updated or changed.

## General Online Safety Tips

No matter where one ends up when using the Internet, and for whatever purpose, he or she is almost always at risk of some viral threat. Whether this be spam, spyware, or malware, the Web is always lurking with mechanisms designed to destroy and harm. Identity theft is always a lingering concern, especially when doing any kind of online shopping. According to a study conducted by Consumer Reports in 2012, 16 million households suffered from identity theft in the United States alone. Scammers are only getting smarter and their tricks are getting more difficult to detect. Hence, it is best to be wary and scarce with what one decides to disclose.

Adam Levin of The Huffington Post identified "three Ms" of maintaining online privacy. The first is to minimize one's exposure. This just highlights what has been previously covered before; do not share more information on social media than necessary. The second is monitoring all of one's accounts. Make sure to keep a constant eye on credit card accounts and statements to spot any suspicious activity as soon as possible. The third and final "M" is managing any damage that may occur. Sometimes, it is inevitable that we will fall for the occasional phishing scam. It's happened to us all. The best way to counteract this is to immediately have a professional help navigate and eliminate any future threats to one's identity.

Finally, something that many tech experts agree is very crucial in protecting online privacy includes creating "unbreakable" passwords. Passwords should be long, contain punctuation, and be incredibly difficult to guess. One should never use one's date of birth as a password. It is far too easy for scammers to guess. A more secure recommendation is to use a password generator, like LastPass or DinoPass for children, which forge random string of characters. Just be sure to write down any randomly generated passwords in a secure and hidden location as most will be almost impossible to memorize. Another method is to set a random string of unrelated words as a user's password. This is referred to as the Diceware method, which includes choosing "five nonsensical words" and combining them into a sentence that will only make sense to the owner of the account.

## References

1. ↑ DesMarais, C. (2013, July 24). 11 Simple Ways to Protect Your Privacy. Retrieved April 13, 2017, from http://techland.time.com/2013/07/24/11-simple-ways-to-protect-your-privacy/
2. ↑ Protect Your Social Media Accounts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from https://www.investor.gov/protect-your-investments/fraud/how-avoid-fraud/protect-your-social-media-accounts
3. ↑ Baunfire.com, S. B. (n.d.). Social Networks. Retrieved April 15, 2017, from https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/protect-your-personal-information/social-networks
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Protecting Yourself on Social Networks. (2017, February 21). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/protecting-yourself-social-networks
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Protect yourself online. (Cover story). (2012). *Consumer Reports*, *77*(6), 22-23.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Levin, A. (2016, April 14). *8 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Online*. *The Huffington Post*. Retrieved 16 April 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-levin/8-ways-to-protect-your-pr\_b\_9690462.html
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 *66 Ways to Protect Your Privacy Right Now*. (2017, February 21). *Consumer Reports*. Retrieved 16 April 2017, from http://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/66-ways-to-protect-your-privacy-right-now/