Thanks to the evolution of the internet and technology, it seems like companies and the government can create a virtual portrait of you. Some say it’s a small price we have to pay for the technological benefits we get. However, this shouldn’t be the case, because you have a right to keep your private information private.
Unsurprisingly, privacy concerns are also rife in the work environment. Most companies need some sensitive personal information for their company registers, payroll management, and tax records.
Putting your personal information at the disposal of your employer is risky but also mandatory. However, most companies will do their best to safeguard your private information. That’s because them putting your official sensitive information at risk means putting theirs at risk too.
Regardless of that, the buck still stops at you when it comes to safeguarding your private information. You’re more susceptible to data breaches, away from work than at work. So you must remember to keep your guard always.
Here are a few ways to ensure your sensitive personal information stays safe
1. Regularly Encrypt Your data
You don’t need to be a computer geek to encrypt data. Indeed the term sounds complicated, but it’s much simpler than you think. Data encryption is basically jumbling up your data so that anyone who gets access to it has a non-useful scrambled version of your data.
Encryption involves two elements: the encrypting tool and the deciphering tool. The encrypting tool jumbles up your data to be incoherent, and the decrypter or deciphering tool restores it to its original form. Nowadays, there are tons of modern tools for data encryption that you can get off the internet.
They’re pretty easy to use, and most of them come with clear instructions for encrypting your data. If you still can’t figure it out, then YouTube has plenty of tutorials to help you out.
2. Use a Strong Password or a Passphrase
For some people, passwords are too tedious to have on their phones. After all, they have nothing to hide, right? Wrong, your phone is a gateway to some of the most sensitive personal information you have. When fraudsters gain access to your phone, they have hit the jackpot.
A passphrase is just like a password, but instead of letters, numbers and symbol combinations, it’s a series of words or a complete sentence. It’s way more difficult for a person to guess a whole passphrase rather than a word. It’s also harder for a password cracker to generate a whole combination that leads to a sentence.
3. Regularly Backup Your Data
Most people overlook data backup as a means of data protection. Now whenever someone steals your devices or manages to gain illegal access to it, there’s a high chance you might lose important information. When some companies are breached, they resort to an immediate wipe out of data to prevent hackers from gaining access to highly sensitive information.
Of course, these companies have already backed up their data, so it’s just a matter of plugging the security loophole and restoring the data. You should also consider doing the same so that you still retain your data in case someone steals or compromises your device.
If someone steals your iPhone, here’s how to erase data remotely to safeguard your private information. Just make sure you have a recent data backup so that you get all your data once you recover or replace your phone.
4. Have an Anti-Virus on All Devices
We can’t stress this enough, it’s imperative to have an antivirus on all your devices. That means on all your computers and even on your smartphone. Anti-viruses don’t just protect your devices from viruses but also other malware.
Some hackers disguise their hacking software as other programs known as Trojan horses. So if you don’t have an anti-virus, you’re putting your data both sensitive and non-sensitive at risk. If you can’t afford an anti-virus, just get one from the internet for free.
Once you download an anti-malware, carry out periodic scans or make them automatic to make sure everything is alright. In addition to the anti-virus, make sure your firewall is also on. A firewall controls what can go into and out of your computer in a network.
5. Automate Software Updates
Anti-malware software protects your device from known computer data risks. However, new malwares and hacking tools are being churned out every day. As such, it is essential to set your software to update automatically to handle the most recent threats to your data security.
Operating system updates are just as crucial as the anti-virus updates. These OS updates are the second layer of protection from malicious programs and suspicious activity.
6. Consider a Second Phone Line
You can use a second phone line for all activities that may put your personal information at risk instead of your primary line. You see, the more stuff you sign up for, the more you put your data at risk of privacy violation. A second phone line decreases the risk of data breaching because there’s not much data linked to your second line.
Here are a couple of situations where your second phone line comes in handy:-
A. Your online shopping because trusting random companies with your primary line isn’t such a good idea
B. For your side hustle and small business. That way, you can keep business matters and personal issues separate.
C. Social media profiles. That way, you can hide your number from nosy and malicious folks.
7. Check Your Privacy Settings
Don’t overlook privacy settings on whatever app you install on your device. These settings aren’t that complex. Just read through them all and select your most preferred settings for ultimate privacy.
8. Make Your Device Theft-Proof
This means installing tracking apps on your device so you can recover your phone after someone steals it. Also, the factory reset feature, which erases all data from your phone remotely, is also a great way to prevent unauthorized access to your sensitive personal information.
9. Limit Your Wi-Fi Connections
Don’t connect to every free Wi-Fi out there. Doing so can enable hackers on the Wi-Fi network to access your data. It also makes your device more vulnerable to data breaching.
10. Delete Apps You Don’t Use
Delete any apps that you don’t use, especially those that connect to the internet. Doing so decreases the likelihood of data privacy violations.
The Security of Your sensitive Personal Information Starts With You
It’s your duty to safeguard your sensitive personal information. If you consider the above methods, then unauthorized access to your information is highly unlikely.
Remember to do the above to all your devices. Due to inter-connectivity, just one device could compromise everything.
For more informative pieces, check out our other articles on the site.
