Whenever you spend time online, it’s important to be aware of the risk of your personal information being stolen. Threats like data breaches and phishing scams could end up stealing valuable details about you, such as your Social Security number or your financial records. And if criminals get a hold of that info, they could use it to commit crimes like identity theft.
Although this is certainly scary, the good news is that there are ways that you can protect your personal info on the internet, and we’ve listed a few tips below to help you in this area.
Remove Your Personal Information from People Search Websites
People search websites are easy to find these days, and there are many of them that you can turn to when you want to look up information on just about anyone. Plus, these types of sites even make it quick and easy to get a background check on someone.
Go to Radaris to see for yourself how simple it can be for someone to use your full name to look up various details about you. Thankfully, you can go to the Radaris opt out page to ensure this will no longer be possible.
But don’t stop at Radaris. Another site to check is FastPeopleSearch, as it also might be sharing information about you without your permission. If you want to protect that information, it’s best to go to the FastPeopleSearch opt out instructions to let them know that you want that data removed.
We’ll stop here with one more example of a people search site, but there are more where these came from. Check out SearchPeopleFree to see if your info is on there too. If it is, go to the SearchPeopleFree opt out section of their site.
Keep Your Computers and Devices Updated
In addition to keeping the operating system up-to-date on all of your mobile devices and computers, it’s also a great idea to update all of your software and apps whenever it is necessary, as doing so may help protect your privacy and data against the latest threats.
Keep Your Mobile Apps Private
When you download a new app, it is a good idea to go through the settings to turn off any that make you feel like your personal information might be exposed. For instance, if you don’t want the app to track what you do online, turn that setting off. And if you don’t want them to share information about you with a third party, turn that off as well. By taking this simple step to secure your privacy on every app you use, you can help keep your personal details more secure.
Use Security Software
To further protect your personal information, it’s wise to purchase and install a reliable security program that will help prevent cyber criminals from hacking into your system or installing malware, ransomware, viruses, etc. And once in place, keeping this type of software updated is key, as it’s the best way to ensure you’re getting the latest protections.
Don’t Give Out Your Personal Information
Sure, there are plenty of safeguards that you can take, from removing your personal information from websites to using the latest and greatest security software, but if you are giving away your information, all of those things won’t do any good. So, be cautious about when and where you disclose personal details about yourself.
