Long gone is the era when individuals could store their personal data almost exclusively on paper. Modern life mandates that much of society now does everything from banking to conversing to buying groceries online. That’s a lot of personal information floating around out there on the internet.
Without the appropriate security measures, internet users’ personal information could be vulnerable to hackers and criminals. Though there’s no way to guarantee personal information cannot be hacked, the Federal Trade Commission offers various tips to users hoping to safeguard their personal data online.
Make sure software is up-to-date. Smartphone users undoubtedly are familiar with system updates. Such updates are designed to improve functionality on mobile phones, tablets, computers, and other devices, and they also tend to update security software to offer greater protection against hackers and other criminals. Users can open the settings function on their devices and set up automatic updates so systems are updated the moment the latest tweaks are available. System updates typically fix bugs and other issues with security software, internet browsers, operating systems, and even applications.
Utilize two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is an extra layer of security that typically sends users a verification passcode via text or email. Without that passcode, it’s impossible to access an account. The passcode typically expires in a few minutes. Additional forms of two-factor authentication include a security key, which is an actual device that connects to a primary device and utilizes encryption to confirm the key is associated with the account that is trying to be accessed, and an authenticator app, which generates a verification password not unlike the passcode sent via more traditional twofactor authentication.
Pick strong and unique passwords and routinely change them. Passwords are a significant part of modern life. Whether you’re trying to access your smartphone in the morning or watch a television show at night or log into a bank account during a midday break from work, you’re liable to need a password to do each of those things. Passwords can be hard to remember, and that may encourage some users to employ the same ones for various accounts. But that makes user data particularly vulnerable to hackers, so it’s best to pick a strong and unique password for each account and routinely reset all passwords. A simple password like “User1234” is easily decoded, as is one that’s used for years on end across multiple accounts. Third-party password managers can help users overcome the inconvenience of remembering multiple passwords. All that’s necessary to remember when employing such functions is the password to access the password manager, which will then auto-populate the password for a given app or site.
