Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack is getting harder and harder to find these days. Just look up your name on Pipl.com. You might be surprised by how many companies claim to know about your family, income, address, phone number, and a lot more.
Your personal information, like your email address, phone number, and social security number, is very valuable to both good businesses and bad people. The bad guys only want to take your things. Companies want to know as much as possible about you so they can sell you more products and services or show you ads that are highly relevant to your demographics and preferences.
Here are 11 Ways to Safeguard Your Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack;
1. Don’t fill out your profile on social media.
The more information you put on the Internet, the easier it will be for someone to get it. Don’t work with them.
Take a look at your social media profiles and keep them empty. The people who need to know your birthday, email address, and phone number already have them. And why do people put everything about themselves on their Facebook profiles? You won’t do it if you care about your Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
2. Set your browser to private mode.
If you don’t want people who can physically access your computer to be able to see where you hang out online, you should turn on “private browsing,” which is a setting in all major web browsers. After you close the window, it deletes cookies, temporary Internet files, and your browsing history for Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
Every company that advertises online wants to know what sites you visit, what you buy, who you are friends with on social networks, what you like, and more. By keeping track of what you do online, they can send you ads that are more likely to get you to buy something.
For example, the Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ buttons you see on almost every site let those networks track you even if you don’t have an account or aren’t signed in. Sometimes, companies that collect information use code built into banner ads to track your visits, your preferences, and your demographic information.
If you really care about your privacy, you’ll hide your IP address when you use the Internet so that no one can find out who you are. You can do this with a web proxy, a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or Tor, a free open network that routes your traffic through a series of servers run by volunteers around the world before sending it to your destination.
3. Lock down your hardware.
Set up your computer so that it needs a password to wake up from sleep or start-up. You may trust the people who live in your house, but what if your laptop gets stolen or you lose it?
The same goes for your cell phones. Not only should you use a passcode every time you use your phone or tablet, but you should also install an app that will help you find it if it gets lost or stolen, as well as lock it or wipe it clean of all data so a stranger can’t get to the treasure trove of information you’ve saved on it Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
And make sure that your computers and mobile devices have apps and software that protect against malware. They can stop thieves from taking your information. In our computer security buying guide, we suggest Norton Internet Security ($49.99 on norton.com or $17.99 on Amazon) or Norton 360 Multi-Device ($59.99 on norton.com or $49.99 on Amazon) if you have mobile devices. We also found that anti-malware apps aren’t very good at finding spyware, so if you have an Android device, you should install it as well Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
4. Don’t give out your social security number to just anyone, not even the last four numbers.
Think twice before giving your social security number to anyone who isn’t your bank, a credit bureau, a company that wants to check your background or an organization that has to report to the IRS. If someone gets it and knows your birth date and address, they can use that information to steal your identity and get credit cards and other debts in your name.
Even the last four digits of your social security number should only be used when needed. Banks and other places often use the last four to reset your password so you can get into your account Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
Also, if someone knows your last four digits and where you were born, it’s much easier for them to figure out the whole number. That’s because the first three are based on where you or your parents got your Social Security number. The second set of two numbers is the group number, which is given to all the numbers that are given out at the same time in your area. So, an identity thief with some computer skills and time could hack it if they tried hard enough Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
5. Use cash to buy things.
Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack Business Insider says that credit card companies sell information about what you buy to advertisers. Don’t want companies to know how much alcohol you buy or other habits that could be embarrassing? You can still buy things with coins and bills, like in the old days.
6. Use authentication with two factors.
With two-factor authentication, you can lock down your Facebook, Google, Dropbox, Apple ID, Microsoft, Twitter, and other accounts. That means that when you log in, you’ll also need to enter a special code that the site sends to your phone. Some services need it every time you log in, while others only need it when you use a new device or browser. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a great overview of what’s out there Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
Two-factor authentication is a great way to keep other people from getting into your accounts, but some people think it takes too long. But if you care about privacy, you’ll deal with the trouble.
7. Put an alert on Google for your name.
This is an easy way to find out what people are saying about you on the Internet. Just tell Google what to look for (in this case, your name), what kinds of web pages to search, how often to search, and what email address to use to send you notifications. Here you can set up a Google alert to Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
8. Use a password vault that can make strong, unique passwords and remember them.
Most people are smart enough to know that they shouldn’t use the same password for more than one website or app. In reality, it can be hard to remember a different one for each of the dozens of online services you use. If you use the same password in more than one place, someone who gets your password, say through a phishing attack, can get into all your accounts and do all kinds of bad things about Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
Use a password manager to solve this problem. It will not only remember all your passwords, but it will also make strong, unique passwords for you and automatically fill them into login fields when you click a button.
9. Don’t tell anyone about what you do on social networks.
Make sure that only your friends can see what you’re doing on Facebook by checking your settings. Go to the gear in the upper right corner of your screen that says “Settings,” then click on “Privacy Settings” and “Who can see my stuff.”
Click the settings cog on Twitter, then click Settings. From there, you can change all kinds of Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack settings, like a box that lets Twitter add your location to tweets and a setting that makes your tweets private so that only people you approve can see them. You can also stop the microblogging platform from customizing your Twitter experience based on other sites you visit.
Go to Home >> Settings if you use Google+. You can change who can talk to you, comment on your posts, or start a conversation with you there Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
10. Don’t give your zip code when you buy something with a credit card.
When you pay with a credit card, stores will often ask for your zip code. Forbes says not to give it to them unless you want them to add your information to their marketing database. By putting your name and zip code together, which they can get from your credit card, companies can find out more about you, like your address, phone number, and email address in Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
11. Don’t tell a lie when you set up security questions for your password.
“What is the maiden name of your mother?” Websites often ask you questions like “Where were you born?” or “What is your favorite color?” to keep your account safe from hackers. In reality, there’s nothing safe about these kinds of questions. Someone who wants to get into your account could easily find the answers by searching the Internet Privacy in the Event of a Cyberattack.
Not sure you can remember your lies? You can do this with your password manager by making “accounts.”
