When surfing the internet and using social media, you might end up sharing more of your personal information than you might realize. But there are some steps you can take to avoid this and protect your private details as much as possible.
What can you do to protect your personal information online? Continue reading to access a few helpful tips.
Use Strong Passwords
You create a lot of accounts online, and those accounts need strong passwords that are difficult to guess. One of the easiest steps you can take to protect your personal information is using passwords that contain symbols and numbers. You might even set up two-step verification to further secure your accounts.
It’s also a good idea to use a different password for each account you open, rather than using the same password for multiple accounts. Also, you never want to share your password or write it down and leave it in an area where it can be found and stolen easily.
The bottom line is this: the harder it is to hack into your accounts, the better!
Opt Out of People Search Websites
People search websites can be helpful, but they can also be detrimental to those who really value their privacy and want to keep their personal information secure and protected. If you hate the fact that your contact details, relatives, age, and background can be found easily on people search sites, it’s time to figure out where your information is being hosted. From there, you can then request that your information be taken down.
Here are some of the people search websites to look into as you begin working toward removing your information from these databases:
- Whitepages is probably the most well-known of the people search sites, and it’s surprisingly simple to opt out of Whitepages.
- FastPeopleSearch is yet another people search site that might be hosting your information. If that’s the case, go to the FastPeopleSearch removal page for instructions on how to opt out of having your details displayed.
- Yet another site that’s worth checking is Spokeo. If your info is on there, go to the Spokeo opt out page to ensure you can regain control over your personal details.
Look into Privacy Settings
Whenever you open an account, whether it’s a new online shopping account or a social media account, it is definitely worth taking a look at the privacy settings that you can control.
Make sure the website or app you use is told not to share your information with any third parties, if that is an option. Also, make your accounts private if that is possible too, as doing so can help stop people from finding you easily. And ensure that apps are not tracking you unless you tell them they’re allowed to do so.
Sure, this takes some effort, but if it means that your personal info will be better protected, you’ll certainly want to do it!
Watch Out for Scammers
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that there are a lot of scammers out there, and their goal is to steal your personal information. So, before you click on a link in an email, even if it seems legitimate, make sure the email is actually safe. Don’t give out your personal information to just anyone; instead, make sure they’re legit as well. And only visit secure, trustworthy websites.
