How to protect your personal information online

Many people are unaware of how their personal information is used, collected and shared in the digital world. Everything you do online generates data about you - from your personal information to your activities and interests. Here's what you need to know to protect your information online. Your data is very valuable, so it's important to choose the companies and apps you want to interact with and make informed decisions about who gets your data.

There are different types of data that can be collected about you:

• Personal information - including data such as your Social Security number and driver's license number.
• Information about you - including data about your health, activities, behaviors, and interests.

Many accounts require access to personal information such as location data, contact lists, and photos. Some services require access to this information while others collect the data. Before sharing information, consider how much personal data the company or app requires. Is it in your best interest to share this information? Keep in mind that some apps and services may require access to information that is not related to their services or necessary for their operation.

Apps on your device

When downloading new apps or using new services, it is recommended that you check your privacy and security settings. You can customize these settings to ensure that only information that is necessary for the service is shared. Keep in mind that different devices, apps, and web browsers may have different settings that restrict information sharing. We recommend checking the settings of your social media accounts and applications to ensure that your data remains private. We also recommend uninstalling unused apps and services.

Protect your passwords and use a password manager

Password hacking is one of the most common ways fraudsters can gain access to your data, identity and money. According to a study conducted by NordPass, the average person needs to remember 100 passwords. Most of us can't remember 100 passwords, so it's tempting to reuse passwords for different accounts. The good news is that you can use a password manager. By creating long, unique passwords and storing them in a password manager, you can increase the security of your accounts and stop hackers. Password managers store login information in an encrypted database protected by a master password. Once you enter your information into a password manager, you only need to remember the master password. Some well-known password managers include LastPass, Dashlane, LogMeOnce, Bitwarden, RememBear, 1Password, and Keeper.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, using multi-factor authentication can prevent 99.9% of automated attacks and protect your data in the event of a hack. Every time you log into an online account, whether it's a food ordering app, a shopping account, or a social media account, the process is called “authentication.” Typically, a username and password are used for authentication. However, this is not the most secure way to protect your account. A username can be easily guessed by scammers and a password is difficult to remember, so the same password is often used for multiple accounts.

This is where multi-factor authentication comes to the rescue. “Multi-factor authentication is a way to verify identity when logging in. Multi-factor authentication, also known as “two-factor” authentication, provides an additional layer of protection by requiring users to identify themselves using two or more methods the first time they log into an account. In addition to a username and password, multi-factor authentication requires an additional “factor” or method to prove identity. Security experts divide factor types into three main categories:

• Things you know: usually password-based (the most common), contains letters, numbers, and special characters such as passwords and symbols.
• Things you own: physical items such as smartphones, smartwatches, devices and secure USB drives.
• Yourself: also known as “biometric authentication” where user-specific features such as fingerprint scans, facial recognition, eye scanners, voice recognition and so on are used to log in.

It is important to use different types of elements, such as two passwords or codes of the same type as the password (that you know). On the contrary, using a combination of multiple elements is more secure. For example, if you use a password and a fingerprint, you are protected because even if criminals steal your password, they won't be able to steal your fingerprint as easily.

How to activate multi-factor authentication

Almost all online services, from email and social media to banking and shopping, offer the option to enable multi-factor authentication. Most websites offer the option to enter a text code, but this is not as secure as a verification app, as text messages can be intercepted by SIM card scammers. In addition, hackers can redirect text messages to themselves and access accounts associated with the phone number.

Authentication apps are more secure than SMS codes. Always choose a trusted app such as Authy, Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Duo Mobile or LastPass. The code generated by the authentication app is not transmitted over the mobile network, minimizing the risk of detection and tampering.

Secure data transmission with encryption

You may have heard that sending encrypted messages is more secure, but what does that mean? Encryption is a way to encrypt data so that only the recipient can understand it. This leaves the message blank and it can be read by anyone with a card in hand. Encryption means that only authorized people can understand the message. Encryption changes the information being read so that it appears as random characters to everyone but the addressee. This means that the message does not look like a postcard, but like a letter in a secure envelope.

In order to understand and decrypt the message, an encryption key is needed. The encryption key consists of a series of mathematical values agreed upon between the sender and receiver of the message. The encryption key turns seemingly random letters into readable text. In other words, the code “locks” the data by encrypting it, and only a person with the correct code can “unlock” or decrypt it.

Conclusion 

Protecting data online is an important and layered process that requires knowledgeable and cautious use of applications and services. By taking measures such as encrypting data, using multi-factor authentication and managing access to information, you can greatly reduce the risk of personal data loss and account hacking.