Keeping your identity safe online is vital, no matter what you’re doing or what device you’re using. If you’re not careful, you could have sensitive information stolen from you. With the right information, people can steal your identity and use data such as your credit card details, your name, address and date of birth to commit a number of crimes. Even giving your email address to the wrong person could result in a few different problems. If someone does use your information, it can cause you a few issues that are hard to correct. But if you want to stay safe, there are several things you can do.
Be Careful on Social Media
Social media is one of the top places where the wrong people can get hold of your data. Not only do you have to watch out for scammers and people trying to take advantage of you, but the social media platforms themselves will keep a lot of your sensitive data. When you’re using any social media website or app, be careful about who you choose to share your information with. Ideally, you should make your profile private and only share it with friends and family. Check your privacy settings too so that you can make sure you’re only giving the app access to what you’re willing to give away.
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Only Visit Secure Web Pages
There are all sorts of unsafe websites and pages out there that can cause problems for you. You need to watch out for any dodgy pages that could be out to steal your information or trick you into handing over sensitive data. This can include links from phishing emails, which attempt to convince you that they are legitimate communications from people they know. Unsafe websites might try to get you to give them your bank or card details, so make sure you only visit secure sites with a good reputation.
Control Who Has Your Information
Being able to control who has your information can really help you if you want to protect your data. Using an app like Revoke can give you the power to protect your personal data by deciding who has access to it. You can review your privacy on social media and remove apps or remove permission where you want to. You can also make requests to retrieve your personal data, prevent marketing, and stop your information from being shared so that you can control who has your information.
Use a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is very handy if you want to keep your private information safe. It gives you online privacy and anonymity by masking your IP address to make it much harder to trace your online activity. You might use a VPN at home or at work, but it’s most useful when you’re using a public network. Public WiFi networks can be very unsafe, but a VPN can protect you.
If you want to keep your identity safe online, take steps to make your data more private and avoid oversharing.
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