Advanced Threat Protection and Peace of Mind for Every Organization
How to Protect your Personal Information Online
Tip #1: Create a Strong Password for Your Accounts
Make your password long, at least 12 characters. Use a combination of different letters, numbers, and symbols. Try not to reuse the same password for multiple websites. You can use a password manager such as Bitwarden store and create strong passwords.
Tip #2: Use a Two Factor Authenticator
It is recommended to use two factor authentication for your email, social media, cloud services, and other websites that require you to sign in. There are apps that you can download to authenticate instead of getting a text message which is more secure.
Tip #3: Limit the Amount of Information You Share on Social Media
Avoid putting your birthday, address, or phone number on your social media apps because it is sensitive information. You should also be careful about who can see your location and who can view your posts. You should go into your settings and adjust the privacy so only friends can see your posts.
Tip #4: Be Aware of Phishing and Scams
Do not click on links in your email that you don’t know where they originated from. You can check the sender’s email address and look for typos or language that suggests that they are in a rush. Verify all emails that come from banks, governments, or unknown sources by going to their website.
Tip #5: Keep Your Software and Devices Updated
Make sure that you install updates for your operating system, apps, browsers, and antivirus software because it can prevent your device from being vulnerable to attacks. You should enable automatic updates in your setting because it can patch flaws in security.
Tip #6: Encrypt Your Files that Contain Sensitive Information
There are encryption tools like BitLocker that can encrypt local files such as documents, spreadsheets, photos/videos, or software. When you are sharing sensitive information over the internet you should use an encrypted email service or use a secure file transfer service.
What is a Digital Footprint?
It is a trail that you leave behind every time you use the internet. It includes everything from the websites that you visit to the posts that you make on social media. It can even show the things that you click on or search for. Your IP address, browsing history and cookies, location, and time spent on a page are your passive digital footprint which means that they are collected without you actively providing them.
How to Reduce or Control Your Digital Footprint.
You can limit what you publicly post online, use a privacy focused browser such as Brave or Firefox, adjust your privacy settings on your social media and other apps, use a VPN to hide you IP address from websites, and clear your cookie and browsing history often.
How to Encrypt Your Files
Types of Threats
Common internet privacy threats include malware, social engineering, ransomware, Denial of Service attacks (DoS), and Identity theft.
Malware is malicious software that is designed to steal your data, disrupt systems, and gain unauthorized access to your devices. Viruses, worms, and spyware are some examples of malicious software.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that encrypts your files and demands payment to give you the decryption key.
Identity theft is when someone tries to steal your sensitive information such as your social security number, name, or bank account details. They commit fraud by gaining access to accounts without your permission. This could lead to financial distress and reputational damage to the victim.
Denial of Service Attacks (DoS) is when attackers try to overload a system with so much traffic that users cannot gain access. The attack causes the service to slow down, crash, or even become completely inaccessible.
Social engineering includes phishing but it is a broader category that people try to manipulate to have access to information or systems. Phishing can be deceptive emails, messages, or websites that trick you into giving amount information such as passwords or financial information.