How to Keep Your Data Private

Most people using the internet today know that they need to do something to keep their data private, but too many people aren’t going far enough. We know that we need to be smarter about what we do, but we aren’t. Even telecommunications services management systems are trying to hide your information away so that no one can steal it. Everyone has an online presence where we send and receive emails, post on social media, share photos, and more. But how can all these things impact your privacy and even more importantly, how can we protect ourselves?

You’re Giving Away Personal Information

Your online privacy depends on actions you take today and actions you’ve taken in the past. People can access information about you that is stored on the internet and those pieces of information that are stolen by hackers. Unfortunately, we are also too casual with how we share information on the internet and the access we grant to companies. This can leave us vulnerable to the more sinister users.

What personal information are you so freely giving away? It includes your email address, phone number, social security information, and more. You probably also have your full name, birthday, workplace, likes, dislikes, political affiliation, and more.  All of this information can make a lot of money for scammers.

So what can you do? There are simple steps you can take to keep your data private.

Think Before You Post

You want to think before you share or post anything online. Remember that anything you post could get outside of your circle, no matter how tight your security is. Someone can screenshot your information and then you have no control over where it goes. Don’t post anything that gives away your personal information that could help a stranger guess your passwords - don’t tell your favorite teacher, your first dog’s name, or the street you grew up on. 

Browse Intelligently

Do not send out any sensitive information while you are using a Wi-Fi connection that is public. This means don’t send out your credit card information or your banking information. Use a private browser whenever possible. If this isn’t possible, turn off your browser cookies. 

If you do have to share any personal information, make sure that you are giving it to a valid, safe website. To check, you can do a simple Google search on their reputation and always look for https:// in the URL. 

Be sure to check out location services and whether or not they are on - turn off the GPS mode on your phone’s camera as well. People can use the location information to locate you, find your job, and more.

Don’t Reply To Strangers

While the internet is a great tool and place to meet strangers, you never want to reply to spam or messages with unknown senders. They pop up everywhere: in your email inbox, on social media, through text, and more. 

The same is true about “friending” someone - only friend people you know in real life.

While you can’t always protect yourself online, you can take some simple stamps to keep yourself safe. Be sure to check your privacy settings every few months just to ensure that nothing has changed and you aren’t sharing anything that you don’t want people to have. Remember that while we all have to be online at least a little bit (most jobs require us to have at least an email address), you can control your presence on social media and all the other sites where information gets stolen. ETI Software Solutions continues to bring leading-edge solutions to telcos, municipalities, utility co-ops, open access providers, and WISPs to reduce operating costs and future-proof technology. To learn more about ETI Software Solutions, visit them at 6065 Atlantic Boulevard Norcross, GA 30071. You can contact them at (770) 242-3620 or visit their website https://etisoftware.com/ to contact them.