IT News
Data Privacy Tips and Reminders
January 24, 2023
Most of us live in a digital world every day. Online shopping, document sharing, and social media are common activities. While these activities have increased access to information, consumers must remain aware of best practices to protect their personal data.
Here are some tips and ideas that will help you in securing and protecting your data online:
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Do not post information that may be used in security questions to social media accounts (mother’s maiden name, etc.)
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Go through your privacy settings on your social media accounts and lock them down as much as possible
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Do not reuse the same password on multiple accounts. PROTIP: Use a password manager like LastPass to help you keep track of unique passwords.
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Shred documents you receive that have account numbers and other personally identifiable information
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Monitor your accounts. Some services offer free or low-cost identity monitoring:
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Delete old accounts. Remove old accounts from retailers and websites you visit rarely or made a one-time purchase from.
Another helpful reminder is to avoid sending documents with personal information, especially social security numbers, over email. Unless you take a specific action, email is clear text. Anywhere along its path, it could be intercepted and seen. If you want to share tax information with a family member you may wish to help them log into an encrypted folder such as Google Drive, or Microsoft’s OneDrive. You should be careful when sharing a document that you don't share with anyone else besides the intended recipient.