Protecting Your Digital Privacy

The activities we engage in on our phones, computers, tablets, smart appliances, etc. and on websites leave a trail of our personal information. That personal information has value — not just to us, but to marketers and to scammers and hackers who want to steal our identities.

Here are three steps you can take to protect your digital privacy:

1. Secure your Wi-Fi.

Your wireless network is the gateway to all the Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home. To protect your connected devices, replace the default Wi-Fi network password and router admin password with a strong password. Keep your router up-to-date by visiting the manufacturer’s website to see if there’s a newer version of the software available for download, and see if you can set up auto-updates.

Some consumers get their router directly from their internet service provider – if this is you, check with your ISP to learn more about your router’s settings, if you can change the password, and how it receives updates.

2. Set your computer and phone to lock when you’re not using them.

Doing this, in combination with having the device password protected, prevents unauthorized access to your device if you step away from it or lose it. Losing a phone or laptop is stressful enough, but if it falls into the wrong hands it could lead to further financial loss, identity theft, or account takeovers. Think about all the sensitive data stored on your devices!

3. Create backup copies of your information.

If your device is infected, stolen, hacked, lost, or damaged, you might lose most of the data on it – unless you have backed it up! Back-up your information regularly, either manually or by setting auto-backups. Two of the most popular backup methods are cloud storage and external storage devices.

Cloud storage means you save your data with a company that grants you access to your files remotely. Example companies are Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, or Dropbox. If you use cloud storage, you are trusting someone else to keep your data safe. Find out what level of privacy/security they offer to determine whether this is right for you. External storage devices are physical devices you can own, like a USB flash drive or an external hard drive. You can more easily control these devices and they are more secure, but you are responsible for their maintenance.