Websites other than social networking platforms also offer some privacy options. YouTube, for instance which could arguably be considered a social networking platform, as well , allows users to make videos private or viewable only by specified persons. Privacy controls may also be offered during the sign-up process for a new online service or account. Signing in to online services is necessary when you need to access your personal accounts, but many users forget to sign out when they're finished using a service.
So when using a public computer, be sure to sign out by clicking on your account photo or email address in the top right corner and selecting Sign out. If you use public computers often, use 2-step verification to help keep your account safe, and be extra careful to sign out of your accounts and shut down your browser when you have finished using the web," according to the Google Safety Center. If you receive an email from a source or individual you don't recognize, don't open it, and definitely avoid clicking any links or file attachments. Watch out for files attached to e-mails, particularly those with an 'exe' extension-even if people you know sent them to you.
Some files transport and distribute viruses and other programs that can permanently destroy files and damage computers and Web sites. Do not forward e-mail if you are not completely sure that any attached files are safe. Two-factor authentication is an additional layer of security that provides protection in the event that a hacker guesses or cracks your password. Two-factor authentication requires a second verification step, such as the answer to a secret question or a personal identification number PIN.
You should opt for two-factor authentication when given an option. Authenticator apps are also available on all major smartphone platforms. Other types of two-factor authentication do exist as well, so look in the settings of your banking, shopping, and e-mail hosts for the option," explains the Webroot Threat Blog. Twitter: Webroot. This tip is important for much beyond data protection, such as protecting your financial assets, your reputation, and perhaps most importantly, your personal confidence or self-worth.
Too many people have fallen victim to scams online, by buying into false claims and promises of vast accumulation of wealth.
Michael Daniel, on The White House Blog , advises, "Be cautious about what you receive or read online — if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Twitter: WhiteHouse. When you're conducting a financial transaction or sharing other sensitive information, always use a secure website to do so. Secure Socket Layers SSL is a commonly used website security protocol that provides additional protection for data as it's transmitted through the Internet.
You can tell if you're using a secure website by looking at the beginning of the URL. Most everyone gets the occasional email from their bank, financial institution, or similar accounts and services. But to be safe, you should always open a browser window and type the URL in the address bar, rather than click on links in emails. Phishing emails are one of the most common ways hackers obtain personal information, tricking users into inadvertently handing over their login credentials to bank accounts, credit cards, and other accounts where they can glean further information, make unauthorized purchases, or even steal your identity.
The Binance Hack: Three Lessons You Can Learn From It
If you click on a link in the message, you're taken to a website that looks legitimate but could be run by criminals trying to trick you to sign in with your username and password so they can capture that information. Your best bet is not to click on the link but rather type the web address such as mybank. Any information you enter on social networking websites, accounts, or any other website could potentially be up for grabs in the event of a data breach.
In general, the information you put online contributes to your online reputation, which can impact your chances of securing employment, getting into your college of choice, and create many problems if the information is unfavorable. Monitoring your online reputation can also help you pick up on sensitive information that shouldn't be publicly available so you can take action to have it removed. Microsoft suggests searching all variations of your name, avoiding searching for personal identification numbers such as your driver's license number or Social Security number , and asking website owners to remove this information if you find it published.
You should also check sites you frequent, as well as social networking websites, so that you can clean up your profiles if necessary. Twitter: MSFTnews. Websites like peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms are not only illegal, but they're often rife with malware. Avoid downloading files from any website that you don't trust completely. In addition, the report links one-third of the sites to credit card fraud.
A disposable email account is one created solely for a specific purpose that you'll never use again or for any other account or purpose. There are many instances where such a disposable email will make sense. Examples include short-term projects, an email address specific to one online application such as Facebook or Twitter, for testing purposes, etc; basically, anytime you are unsure of the period of use, like when you decide to take on numerous free software trials," GetApp explains. Twitter: GetApp. Some online services offer secure mobile access options, enabling users to access services without exposing login credentials.
- Mohit Sarveiya.
- Spying App to Spy text messages on another phone.
- Best New Application for Spy text messages.
Some banks offer secure mobile access without having to expose your account information or passwords," says Bank of America. An article on MakeUseOf addresses the issues that arise from ad tracking online: "Advertising is a huge business. You have to expect a level of this behavior while using the Internet, but there are ways to limit how much information is collected about you. Twitter: MakeUseOf. Another useful tip from MakeUseOf , this advice suggests that the common practice of 'remembering passwords' in browsers is a dangerous practice.
Indeed, should someone gain access to your computer or mobile device, they'd be able to easily access any accounts for which you've stored login credentials in your browser. While it may make logging in more convenient, it's a risky habit in terms of data protection. Much like using the same password for multiple accounts, using the same email address for every account is a recipe for disaster. That's not to say that you can't use the same email address more than once, but a good strategy is to use a different email address for different contexts, such as one for personal accounts, one for business-related accounts, one for online retail accounts, and so on.
Rich from Securosis says, "One of my favorites is to use different email accounts for different contexts. Keeping things simple, I usually suggest different email accounts: your permanent address, your work address, an address for buying online when you don't trust the store, an address for trusted retailers, and an address for email subscriptions. Twitter: securosis. That way, should you need to hand over the work or the position to someone else, you can simply pass along the login credentials rather than worry about forwarding emails for weeks and months to come.
You can just hand over the email address and password to your replacement.
HOW TO HACK SOMEONE’S FACEBOOK MESSAGES?
Akin to evaluating your online reputation, taking stock of your digital footprint involves investigating your online presence, but to find old accounts that you no longer use. For example, how many web sites are storing your credit card information? How many have up-to-date card numbers and expiration dates?
Where do you have important documents, files and videos across the web? You can start by making a list and noting the types of sensitive data associated with each site.
If there are sites you no longer use, you might want to consider deleting your account profiles," explains Unisys. Twitter: unisyscorp. Doing so can jeopardize your privacy, however. Twitter: ReputationDef. This is a difficult tip to adequately describe in a relatively small number of words, but use caution anytime you're searching for any topic known for spam or malware. This often happens with extremely popular search topics, such as pharmaceuticals, celebrities, and adult-oriented content. Because so many people search for these topics, it's easy for hackers to set up websites that are essentially fake, designed solely to elicit clicks and execute malicious files.
Many Google results of famous celebrity names lead to infecting your PC with malware and viruses," according to this article on PopSugar. Don't send passwords or account login credentials over public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. You are broadcasting to everyone within the radius of your wireless signal, which can be several hundred feet, all of your personal information and account information. They can use this to compromise your accounts e. Twitter: TechOhioState.
Instead of backing up all your data in the cloud, particularly a cloud storage provider with security measures you're not completely confident in, consider backing up your most sensitive information locally or on a removable storage device you can keep under tight wraps. My advice is to keep only those files which you need to access frequently and avoid putting up documents containing passwords for your various online accounts or personally identifiable information PII such as your credit card numbers, national identification number, home address, etc.
4 things to do if your email account is hacked | NortonLifeLock
If you must include these information in your files, make sure to encrypt them before you upload," says Michael Poh in an article on Hongkiat. Twitter: hongkiat. Frequent password changes has long been advice offered in security circles, but the practice's efficacy has come into question in recent years. If they get your bank account login, they won't wait two months hanging around, but will transfer the money out of your account right away.
In the case of private networks, a hacker might be more stealthy and stick around eavesdropping, but he's less likely to continue to use your stolen password and will instead install backdoor access. Regular password changes won't do much for either of those cases.
Cookie banner
Of course, in both instances, it's critical to change your password as soon as the security breach is found and the intruder blocked. Twitter: NBCNews. While cloud storage makes for an ideal backup solution, it can also be more prone to hackers if you're not careful about the cloud services you choose. Victoria Ivey, in an article on CIO. It means that the service takes care of both encrypting your files on your own computer and storing them safely on the cloud. Therefore, there is a bigger chance that this time no one -- including service providers or server administrators -- will have access to your files the so called "zero-knowledge" privacy.
Among such services are Spideroak and Wuala. Much like not all cloud storage providers are created equal, neither are email providers. The good news is that Google does it, Yahoo does it, Microsoft supports it, AOL supports it, so if you're on one of those, you're on your way to minimizing your risk. If a company through which you have an account has suffered a data breach, immediately change your password. An article on ConsumerReports. Yes, it's now clear that Internet banking is not impervious to hacking, but 'the convenience you get from banking digitally greatly supercedes any security risk,' said Al Pascual, head of fraud and security research at Javelin Strategy and Research, a California-based financial services industry consulting firm.
As part of your monitoring, watch out for changes to your debit card PIN. There are many opportunists who use the likelihood of a data breach to trick unassuming consumers into actually handing over their passwords and other information, when a data breach hasn't actually occurred. Before responding to any requests to update your login info through a link sent to you in an email, visit the company's website by typing the URL into your address bar and confirming the breach occurred, or call the company to verify the information.
Twitter: joxman. If a data breach has affected a company that has issued you a card, such as a bank-issued or retail store-issued credit card, cancel your existing card and request a new one. This action makes the previous card number invalid, so if it has been stolen by hackers, it is no longer usable and your finances are secure. Some companies will charge a small fee for a replacement card, but most will swap cards for you for free.
When you request a new credit card, your old card and its number are destroyed. That means that if a thief tries to use your card in the future, the card will be declined. You will have to wait for the new card to arrive in the mail, so make sure you have money to pay for your purchases during this time," says CT Watchdog.