Nowadays it seems like everything takes place online. Shopping or consulting a doctor, everything is just a click away. While there are various benefits of the digital life, there are various security breaches too that can turn up while living the digital life. Protecting your personal information from viruses and hackers in the digital age should be your top priority. Protecting your personal information reduces the risk of identity theft and you should know whom to share your information with.
Here are five simple ways to help you protect your personal information while using your smartphone.
-
Encrypt Your Data
To safeguard your online transactions, use encryption software in your smartphone, that can hide the information you send over the internet. A lock icon on the status bar of your internet browser signifies that your infṣormation would be safe when it is passed on. Keep your browser safe and have a look if the lock icon is there before you send any kind of personal or financial information online.
-
Avoid Clicking On Misleading Links
Cybercriminals are good at misleading people into clicking on links from their bank, electric company and other various organisations. Think twice before you click, look for spelling errors, email addresses that do not seem right and convincing, it should be treated with great caution. If you doubt the message or a link, call the organization and verify before clicking.
-
Limit Social Media Sharing
Sharing too much on social media may sometimes pass your personal information to the hackers. Pay attention to not only the pictures and posts you share, but also to your privacy settings, like check your smartphone if the location is turned on or not. Never share your residential address and phone number publicly. If you want you can lock your social media accounts so that unknown users cannot view your account.
-
Be Cautious of Free Wi-Fi
Free public Wi-Fi is definitely convenient to be used on your smartphone, but in terms of security, most free public Wi-Fi networks are not safe to be used. That means, anyone else on the same Wi-Fi network could be spying on your online activity. Make or view your transactions in your smartphone only when you are on a secured network. If you are compelled to make an online transaction on public Wi-Fi, use a Virtual Private Network, which will encrypt your activity and no one can get to know about your activity.
-
Check The Strength of Your Passwords
Create a strong and unique password for each of your online accounts. Make the passwords complex and easy to remember. The passwords should be a blend of letters, numbers and characters which can keep you far from unauthorised access. The longer the password, the more difficult it becomes for the hacker to guess.
