Your personal data is a valuable asset that you must protect from hackers and cybercrime attacks.
Your personal data may include your personal, financial, medical or occupational information that can be used by unauthorized parties to steal your identity, money or reputation.
Here are four ways to protect your personal data from hackers and cybercrime attacks:
1. Use a strong and different password for each of your online accounts.
A strong password must contain a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess, such as your name, birthday, or hobbies.
Never share your password with anyone or write it down where others can see it.
2. Use up-to-date and reliable antivirus and firewall software.
Antivirus and firewall software can help prevent and detect malware, viruses, spyware, ransomware and other threats that can damage or steal your personal data.
Make sure you download and update antivirus and firewall software from legitimate and trusted sources.
Don’t click suspicious links or attachments in emails or messages sent by people you don’t know or trust.
3. Be careful with public Wi-Fi networks.
Public Wi-Fi networks can be a means for hackers and cybercrimes to snoop and intercept your personal data sent or received over the internet.
If you must use a public Wi-Fi network, make sure you use a VPN (virtual private network) that can encrypt your data and protect it from eavesdropping.
Avoid accessing sensitive websites or online services, such as banking, shopping, or social media, while using public Wi-Fi networks.
4. Educate yourself on how to recognize and avoid phishing and scams.
Phishing and scams are attempts to trick you into providing your personal data in an illegitimate way, such as claiming to be an official institution, charitable organization or well-known individual.
Phishing and scams can be carried out via e-mail, telephone, text messages, social media or fake websites.
Some signs that you may be the target of a phishing or scam are:
- Urgent requests or threats to provide your personal data immediately.
- Offers too good to be true, such as great prizes, sweepstakes or financial aid.
- Spelling, grammar or formatting errors in messages or websites.
- Email addresses, phone numbers or URLs that do not match the claimed sender or organization.
- Request to pay a fee before receiving something.
If you suspect that you have received a phishing or scam, do not provide your personal data or click on any links in the message or on the website. Report phishing or scams to the appropriate authorities or your online service provider.
By following the four ways above, you can protect your personal data from hackers and cybercrime attacks.
Remember that your personal data belongs to you and only you have the right to determine who can access it.
