How to Conduct an Online Privacy Review (Video)

Video Transcript

Whether you consider yourself a casual internet browser or you want to become the next social media guru, you should ask yourself one important question. How do I protect myself online? One way is to conduct an online privacy review each year.

This includes:

• Applying social media safeguards.
  • Make your profiles private and don’t accept invites from people you don’t know.
• Think before you post.
  • By posting about a favorite song, show, city or a pet’s name, you may be providing clues fraudsters can use for phishing or vishing attacks.
  • If you travel, be careful about who knows your home is unattended. This could lead to break-ins or dumpster diving to attain personal information, and it puts your physical safety at risk.
• Make your passwords strong and use different passwords for all accounts.
  • Using generic passwords like “password” or “1-2-3-4-5-6” give hackers access to your personal information in minutes.
  • Make your passwords complex with upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
  • When possible, use two-step verification for your online accounts. This way, when you try to sign in, you will receive a text or call with a one-time code to enter before being granted full access.
  • If it’s difficult to remember multiple passwords, use a password manager.
• Always remember to Stop. Look. Think.
  • If there’s a link, post or attachment, look closely at the sender and think twice before proceeding. You could be one click away from a hacker’s scam.

The internet is at your fingertips, but unfortunately the same goes for fraudsters. Remember to use these tips at least once a year to help keep your online presence safe.