Virtually everybody nowadays has an online account. The accounts can be social media like Facebook and X, freelancing like Upwork and Fiverr, financial like Payoneer and Paypal, and, of course, a Google account. But, what can happen if these accounts are hacked? By the way, it’s possible, if you don’t secure them. As a cybersecurity expert, let me share with you tips on how to protect your personal data online.
How to Protect Your Personal Data Online
The internet is the superhighway of our online thingies. I have control of what I do and what I share online, but I have no control over what others do. It’s like driving. I have control over the car’s speed and movements, but can’t control how others drive. There are even carjackers.
Now, let’s look at the internet. Some are the bad guys, the hackers and the scammers. They are there looking for quick ways to make money, such as stealing credit card information and using it to make purchases or infesting our devices with malware and demanding ransom.
As things get more digital, the more online security breaches increase. For example, in the first half of 2023, there were more than 1393 breaches in the US. So, it’s our responsibility to keep our accounts and personal data safe. Here are tips that can help you.
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Make Sure the Site Is Secure
Site security starts with Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). In simple words, this is encryption for websites. When using HTTPS, the data sent between the website and the browser is encrypted with a secret key. That means the data over the network is gibberish and useless to hackers.
So, to be on the safe side, only open websites that start with https. You’ll also see a closed padlock icon in the address bar. The good thing is that your browser will notify you when the website is not safe. Don’t ignore this warning! But, even with HTTPS protection, there are still risks. Let me show you another lethal method hackers and scammers use.
Have you ever found yourself opening links, one after the other, as they are listed on the Google search results? You are not alone! This is something I do to this day, especially when I search for something, and the ranking sites don’t seem to answer. Scammers are canning. They know most people are not keen on the site URL when opening sites this way.
So, they tweak the original URL a little, and hooray, you’re directed to a different site altogether. Note that the scam site is usually a clone of the original. It might even be HTTPS-protected like the original. That means you need a hawk eye to tell the difference.
For instance, if the URL of the original website selling cars is sellingmycar.com, the clone website URL might be selingmycar.com. Do you see the difference? So, when opening websites, make sure the URL is the exact match of what you want.
Avoid Using Public WiFi
Nowadays public WiFi is common in organizations, institutions, public transport systems, and parks. When connected to this WiFi, always remember public things are not secure. Organizations don’t invest much money into security infrastructure for their public WiFis.
At the same time, you’re sharing the same network with other people, and some might be hackers. So, you can imagine the risks. As a preventive measure, set the WiFi as public in your device settings, so it doesn’t share files or information. Also, don’t share sensitive information or log in to sensitive accounts over public WiFi.
Use Unique and Strong Passwords
There are two things with passwords: their uniqueness and their strength. Let me start with uniqueness. Have you ever found yourself using the same password in several accounts? Like, your Google password, your Payoneer password, and your Facebook password?
That is risky, regardless of how strong the password is. If hackers manage to crack one of the passwords, like your Facebook password, it means they can use it to access other accounts right away. So, always make unique passwords for different accounts. Also, don’t use common things like your date of birth or ID number.
In terms of strength, hackers usually use bots to make password guesses, until they get the correct one. So, make your password complex like nobody’s business. This’s how I do it. I combine digits, alphabets that include uppercase and lowercase, and symbols.
Don’t Download From Unknown Sources
We’re living in an era where almost everyone wants free stuff. No purchases, no subscriptions. Hackers know this and take advantage. They offer free downloads for paid software in the name of Crack. For example, you find a site offering Adobe product downloads for free.
The funniest thing about this method is that they even ask you to disable your antivirus or Windows Defender when installing. But, because you want the free stuff, boom! You disable your computer’s protection and install malware, and your personal data is exposed.
Avoid Over-Revealing Your Personal Information on Social Media
Sometimes the enemy of your online security is yourself, not privacy breaches. Use social media platforms wisely. When creating an account, avoid sharing so much information about yourself. Don’t make your date of birth, location, phone number, and home address public.
The same happens if you meet a person online and become friends. Let your friendship remain online. Don’t trust the person to the extent of disclosing your location, birthday, and home address. Remember, some of these online friends are using pseudo accounts or false personal information. It’s not uncommon to find a guy disguised as a lady.
Don’t Ignore Privacy Policies
Finally, do not ignore privacy policies. Most websites and online accounts have a link to their online privacy policy. Sometimes the site might demand you to accept the policy terms and conditions before signing up. Don’t just accept these privacy policies without reading them.
You might be granting the site permission to collect your personal data unknowingly. Remember, since the permission is in the policy you accepted before signing up, you can’t even file a lawsuit.
Final Thoughts
As the name suggests, personal data is personal. Even if you use it to open sensitive accounts such as Payoneer or PayPal accounts, it should remain private. However, without the proper protection measures, unauthorized third parties can access it. So, use the above tips to safeguard your personal data online.
