Your personally identifiable information (also known as PII) should be kept as private as possible, especially when you are on the internet. There are a lot of cyber criminals out there, all waiting to find a way to hack into people’s computers and devices to steal valuable information that they can use to steal money or identities.
What are some of the ways that you can work toward protecting your personally identifiable information on the internet? Check out the tips below to get started.
Remove Information That’s Easy to Find
While you might be doing everything possible to keep your information as secure as possible on your end, a people search website might be displaying that exact same information for anyone to access.
Want to see what we’re referring to? Head over to Spokeo and do a search using your full name to see if any listings appear. You might discover that they’re allowing people to find your contact information and background details super easily. If that is the case, it’s time to take action by requesting the removal of that information through the Spokeo opt out page.
Spokeo isn’t the only people search site out there, though. There’s also Intelius. So if they’re showcasing your personally identifiable information too, head to the Intelius opt out page.
Yet another example, among many, that you should check is Radaris. Once again, if this site is displaying your information for all to see, it’s time to head to the Radaris opt out page for instructions on how to request removal.
Protect Your Computer from Viruses and Hackers
Another way to protect your personal information is by installing software that will help protect your computer against malware, viruses, ransomware, and cyber attacks. If you can keep hackers out effectively, and you know how to protect yourself by avoiding things like phishing scams, you can rest assured that you are doing something every day to keep your data secure.
In addition to using software, there are other things that you can do daily to protect yourself. For example, make it a point to visit only secure websites that you trust, don’t click on links in emails unless you are absolutely sure that it is safe to do so, and use encryption, firewalls, and a VPN to further help prevent the theft of your data.
Turn on Two-Step Verification for Logging into Your Accounts
It should go without saying that you should only use strong passwords that are difficult to guess and filled with uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers. But if you have the option of turning on two-step verification on any of your accounts, do so.
This can help ensure that, even in the event that a hacker were able to figure out the password to your account, they wouldn’t be able to access it easily. With an extra step in the login process (such as having a security code sent to your cell phone as a text message), you can keep intruders out and protect your personal information.
The bottom line is this: protecting your personally identifiable information is important, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. In addition to only sharing these details with legitimate businesses you trust completely, following a few steps can help you keep your data from getting into the wrong hands.