How to Protect Yourself Online

Technology Security Data breaches seem to be in the news all the time. Not a month goes by when we don’t hear about a major retailer’s database getting hacked and your credit card information being stolen. When your information is stolen, it can get expensive for you if you don’t catch it soon enough. At the very least, it can be very inconvenient as you work to cancel credit cards and change information on other accounts. It’s almost a given these days that some of your information, at some point, will be compromised — even if you don’t ever do anything online. Most of us don’t want to avoid the Internet anyway. Online shopping is inexpensive and convenient. So, if you want to keep yourself as safe as possible online, here are some tips for protecting yourself: Look for Secure Sites One of the most important things you can do is look for secure sites. Check for the lock icon on the address bar of your browser. You can also look for the “s” after the “http” in the URL. Those are indications that the site is secure. You can also check for SSL certifications, like those offered by DigiCert and Symantec. This offers you privacy and security. While it’s not completely full proof, it can provide you with a layer of protection. Be Careful about Passwords It’s also a good idea to create strong passwords and to choose different passwords for different sites. It’s common for someone to use an attack to get one password and username combination from one site, and then try it on several other sites, since many people use the same login information for multiple sites. Make sure that you create long passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and other characters. Make sure that these passwords don’t have to do with personal information that can be found online. Your children’s birthdays, your high school mascot, and other common information is fairly easy to find or guess — especially if you’re not careful about what you share on social media. You can make this easier by using a password manager. Trend Micro defines the best password manager by providing you with the ability to manage as many unique passwords as necessary. You just need one password, and all the rest of your passwords can be complex and hard to hack — and you don’t have to remember them all. Use Protective Software It’s not just about data breaches on other sites; you also have to worry about others getting your information from your own computer. One of the best things you can do is get protection for your computer. Look for good anti-virus software that also includes firewall protection and malware and adware protection. You might be surprised at some of the programs hidden on sites and applications you access. The right protective software can help you avoid the most dangerous items. As long as you keep it updated, you should be able to avoid bringing something to your computer that will steal your passwords or infect your computer in some other way. Remain Vigilant to Protect Yourself Online While you definitely want to be cautious in protecting yourself as you go online, you also need to be aware of the fact that, no matter what you do, your information might still be stolen. As a result, you need to remain vigilant. Make it a point to double-check your bank statements and credit card statements. Check to make sure that you don’t have fraudulent purchases made. If you do see these purchases, make sure to go through the proper notification channels as quickly as possible so that you don’t end up being liable for the costs. Part of remaining vigilant also means that you need to be ready to change your accounts if necessary. To protect yourself online, avoid using your debit card or bank account, since that can be the most difficult to change, especially if you have a lot of automatic transactions. Most of the time, a credit card account number can be changed and all the information transferred easily. This is not the case with a primary bank account, and you should protect it as much as possible. With a few good practices on your part, you should be able to protect yourself better when you use the Internet, whether you are shopping or just surfing. About Tom Drake Tom is a financial analyst and personal finance blogger. His personal finance expertise has been sought out and featured on Forbes, Globe and Mail, Mint, WiseBread, Bargaineering, and Consumerism Commentary. He can also be found on his own sites, including Canadian Finance Blog and Personal Dividends.