With major data breaches making the headlines, identity theft is one of the biggest threats people have to deal with. This year, Toyota was forced to stop production in Japan after being hit by a cyberattack. Although there was no danger of financial data being breached, email addresses and customer control numbers were compromised. As the number of incidents caused by hacking increases, so does the number of breaches caused by theft, loss, and unauthorized access. There’s a chance to become the victim of identity theft; even the most mundane habits can put you at risk. You can prevent identity theft with some essential due diligence, so continue reading to discover how to shield your private information.
Shop Only at Reputable Websites
The ability to purchase goods and services online has been available for some time now – over two decades, to be more precise – but it has recently become more popular. You can browse different online shops and e-commerce stores to choose whatever you want. As far as the order is concerned, it’s delivered in the shortest possible time. Unfortunately, there are risks to online shopping, such as cybercriminals hacking into websites and stealing users’ login and debit card details. Things can get complicated if you’re dealing with a store-within-a-store, in other words, a third-party seller. Websites like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, to name a few, host third-party sellers.
Shop at reputable websites and ensure the transactions are secured with SSL encryption, which protects all personal details. Check the padlock in the address bar to see if the online platform has a valid SSL certificate, how many cookies are in use, etc. If your personal information is compromised in an online shopping data breach, you can claim compensation from the organization for any criminal activity in your name. In the UK, strict rules apply for processing data based on consent, and organizations strive to show compliance. To ensure GDPR compliance in the UK, they must appoint a data protection officer or controller, as failing to comply with data protection law can lead to a fine.
Take Your Name Off Marketers’ Lists
Despite the number of legitimate companies that send marketing emails, threat actors often pose as specialists in an attempt to steal information. They don’t explicitly ask for personally identifiable information or include malicious attachments. Nonetheless, at the end of the email, there’s a suspicious subscription email. It’s best to avoid junk email if possible. Your email service provider might mistakenly mark spam emails as legitimate, meaning that they won’t be redirected to the spam folder. Never respond to such messages because the malicious actor will know the email is active, and you’ll be constantly targeted. A spam filtering tool can help you scan emails, so they won’t infect your computer.
Create Different Passwords for Your Accounts
If you’re like everyone else, you use the same password for multiple accounts, which makes you vulnerable to attacks. Suppose cybercriminals break into your Facebook account. In that case, they’ll hijack your other accounts, no matter if you used the same password or variations of it. The best thing you can do is to have a unique password for each account so that in the event of a cyberattack, your other accounts aren’t at risk. Avoid using information relating to your identity, such as your initials, birthday, or parts of your name, because online attacks are more likely to succeed.
Needless to say, you shouldn’t keep a list of passwords that anyone can stumble across. If you rely on your memory, it won’t work unless you’re some kind of genius. While it’s not recommended to write all your passwords down and store them in a notebook, it’s much better than using your memory. You’re better off using a password manager that helps generate and store long passwords. The zero-knowledge architecture used by the password manager encrypts the login credentials before they leave your device. To add a second layer of security, use two-factor authentication to neutralize risks with compromised passwords.
Protect Sensitive Data on Your Computer
There are a few basic things you can do if you have sensitive information stored on your computer, such as creating separate accounts for work and personal data. Not only will your personal info be more secure, but also you’ll see your favorite things when you sign in. if you’ve used Microsoft services before or you’re using a Windows PC, you already have a Microsoft account. Adding and removing accounts on your PC is pretty simple. Consider setting up a picture password so that you don’t have to log in with a complicated password. You simply draw over the photo on the screen.
Use An Alternate Identity for Web Surfing
No matter how privacy conscious you are, you’ll leave digital breadcrumbs back to your identity, which is why it’s a good idea to have an alternate identity for web surfing. If you’re casually surfing but not conducting business, why would you give your real email address or your real name? Make a new email address and change important details (name, address, and other information). It’s best to avoid strict websites that do identity verification, such as LinkedIn or Facebook. WordPress will share your email and IP address with any site you comment on. Having an alternate identity will help you understand what sites are selling your info.
Of course, there’s no such thing as true online anonymity, but there are ways to better mask your identity. Online services make great efforts to get their hands on your information, and so are hackers. It’s easy for threat actors to find you on the Internet. In creating an alternate identity, you’ll need a phone number that’s not tied to your personal information. Have a dedicated phone number for sending and receiving text messages. You can buy a Sim or set up a virtual phone number, which can be used on your computer, mobile phone, and so forth. In case you didn’t know, a SIM card leaves the least digital trace.