Written by Amanda Dudley
As the debate about the use and abuse of personal information across social media is more relevant than ever, many people have been forced to take a better look at what information they share online. This is especially true for children and teens, but many adults are oblivious to the dangers of information sharing as well.
While we might feel powerless when thinking about all of our data that mega-companies use for commercial purposes, remember that there are things you can do to protect yourself and your personal information. Your first line of defence is painfully obvious- just don’t share the information you don’t want out there.
That includes your location, confidential identity information, financial information and similarly private data that can be abused. Keep on reading to know how to protect personal information online.
Account information
This is more or less self-explanatory, but still deserves a mention. All that you do to protect your personal information online will be pretty much useless if someone gets their hands on your account information. Breaking into just one account makes it infinitely easier to gain access to all of the information that you worked so hard to hide.
While it can be very difficult to avoid ever getting hacked, you can avoid sharing any information that might give easier access to your account to someone else. This doesn’t only include passwords – it applies to various general information that is used for password recovery. This information includes your first pet’s name, your first home address, your favourite vehicle or color. You can be tricked into sharing these while taking quizzes, surveys and similar games on social media, so be mindful of that.
As far as passwords are concerned, a strong password is the least you can do to stay safe. It is also wise to change your passwords regularly, and never have the same password for more than one account.
Overall, the dangers of sharing your information online are numerous. It can be startling to realise you are putting more of yourself out there than what you bargained for, so take a deep breath and tackle this issue systematically. You can reserve a day in the month for internet security control, where you take your time and make sure all of your data is secured and your passwords are changed. If you really must share your personal information with someone online, you can opt for a browser extension like Safe share. It enables you to send and request personal information that will be encrypted and available only when using a password. Stay safe and private, as the internet is vast and full of dangers.
About the author: Amanda Dudley is a lecturer and a writer with a Ph.D. in History at Stanford University. After receiving the doctoral degree, Amanda continued her educational career at the university. Since 2001, she began to conduct lectures on American and world history for graduates and undergraduates, and she currently works as a part-time essay writer for a writing service.