Data Privacy and 8 simple tips to protecting your personal privacy online

Data protection and privacy is a constantly evolving field and requires ongoing efforts to maintain security. It is always a great reminder to regularly think about your own data usage and data privacy concerns.

And so, in order to help you out and give you a task for Privacy Day here’s eight simple tips to protect your personal privacy online – I suggest you have a look and see how any/all can apply to your data usage patterns and consider:

Think before you click – Hackers can create templates that look like a bank or other official websites making it easy for them to access your computer and online accounts.
Be cautious about revealing information on social networks – Always be very careful when sharing information in your public profile. Remember to lock down privacy settings. Also, be cautious when sharing photos – photo stealing and misuse of photos is a serious issue.
Only open email attachments from people you know – Attachments may contain software that could potentially harm your computer
Don’t respond to emails requesting personal information – Legitimate individuals and companies will not ask you to provide or verify sensitive information through a non-secure means such as an email.
Make sure your passwords are strong – When creating new passwords, use a mix of upper and lowercase letters and numbers. Make sure you change your most important passwords, like banking, at least once every six months.
Secure your wireless connection – Make sure you protect your home wireless network with a password and when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks make sure to be cautious about what information you are sending over it.
Upgrade your security – Personal firewalls and security software packages with anti-virus, anti-spam, and spyware detection features are a must-have for those who engage in online financial transactions. Make sure the computer you are using has the latest security patches. Note: Secure website connections start with “https” instead of just “http” and have a key or closed padlock in the status bar that typically appears in the lower right-hand corner of your screen.
Protect your phone with a password – Smartphones can hold as much or even more personal information than your laptop or desktop computer.