These days, many people don’t think twice about sharing their personal information online. Some even go as far as mentioning their address, phone number, or even Social Security number, something that should be sealed with seven seals. But sharing isn’t the only problem. Poor cybersecurity practices like weak passwords and malicious links are also some of the ways through which scammers gain access to individuals’ personal details.
According to Gallup News, less-educated people and those with lower incomes become victims of scams more frequently than others. However, no one is exempt from losing their money or personal information to online scammers.
From dating apps to forums, online fraudsters use different platforms to prey on innocent people. That’s why it’s necessary to know how to protect yourself.
6 Effective Ways to Safeguard Your Personal Information Online
1. Don’t Overshare
It’s easy to get excited about something and then share it with others on social media. Whether it’s a job promotion or a trip announcement, some people tend to share the details that scammers can find very useful.
It includes personally identifiable information (PII), such as your address, phone number, Social Security number, credit card information, and other details. It’s also dangerous to publish the dates of when you’re leaving and returning home, your current location, or any other sensitive information that can get into the hands of malicious individuals.
2. Protect Your Online Accounts With Strong Passwords
This advice is as old as time. Some people, however, neglect it and use easy-to-guess passwords, such as their birthdays, wedding dates, or something guessable, for their online accounts. This mistake may cost you your social media page and even more—you can lose both your money and personal information.
To create strong passwords, use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. The longer the password, the harder it is to crack. Aim for at least 12 characters or more for better security.
A strong password should be random and shouldn’t include any common phrases like “12345” or “qwerty”.
3. Use Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication or 2FA is an extra layer of protection that helps safeguard users’ online accounts. It works by requiring something that only the user has access to.
After entering the password, the system prompts the user to verify their identity with a second factor. This factor can be a one-time passcode sent via SMS or email. Once this factor is successfully verified, access to the account is granted.
Two-factor authentication makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to an account. So, if you’re storing sensitive information on your computer or phone, turning on 2FA is an effective solution to protect it from others.
4. Think Before Clicking on a Link
Links aren’t as harmless as some people think. Through links, scammers can trick users into downloading malicious, virus-infected content and redirect them to suspicious websites. This practice is known as phishing.
The latest statistics state that around 3.4 billion phishing emails are sent daily, and every minute someone loses $17,700 because of phishing attacks.
So, before you click on that link, carefully observe it. First, who sent you the link? Was it someone you know or was it a stranger? If it’s someone you know, reach out to them first and ask what this link contains. If it’s a stranger, hover over the link to see its actual URL and look for generic greetings and poor grammar.
Simply clicking on a malicious link can deprive you of your savings and your personal information can be sold on the dark web.
5. Don’t Use Public Networks
Public Wi-Fi is a convenient option for those who work remotely or just need to go online for any reason, but for those who store sensitive details on their device, it can be dangerous. But why is it so? The thing is that most public networks don’t use encryption, which makes it easier for those who use the same network to capture the information on your device.
In some cases, hackers even create fake Wi-Fi hotspots that mimic legitimate ones. When a user connects to such a network, all their activities can be monitored and their device can easily be injected with malware.
6. Update Your Software
If you go months or even years without updating your antivirus, internet browsers, apps, and operating system, then you’re exposing your personal information to danger.
Updating software is a must, and the reason for this is that not everything is perfect, even software created by reliable tech giants. Hackers look for security flaws in systems and gain access to them, which is a great danger for those who don’t want their sensitive details to end up in the wrong hands.
Updates also include bug fixes that address issues that might cause your software to run slowly.
Let’s Sum Up
There’s a reason why scammers hunt for people’s personal information. To be fair, there are many reasons. Greed for profit, blackmail, and extortion are just some of the most common motives.
Knowing how to protect your PII is important. Oversharing on social media, using weak passwords, not implementing two-factor authentication, clicking on suspicious links, connecting to public Wi-Fi, and not updating your software make it super easy for scammers to gain access to your sensitive information.
