Archives - Personal Information

Avoid participating in online quizzes  

Online quizzes have become a significant cultural trend, thanks to companies like BuzzFeed. They ask questions like “Which Succession character are you?” or “Do you remember these 90s TV shows?”. However, before you decide to engage with such quizzes, think about doing something else. The reason is that these quizzes are primarily created to gather […]

Review website privacy policies

Prior to providing your email address online, ensure there is a privacy policy. Trustworthy websites typically include a link to their privacy policy on forms requesting personal information. Familiarize yourself with this policy before offering your email address or other personal details, so you understand how the site’s owners intend to use the information. By […]

Turn off information storage on your browser

Many computer users take advantage of the convenience of saving credentials into your browser so you don’t have to enter them repeatedly. This lets you instantly fill out credit card numbers and personal information across all websites. However, all this data is stored in your browser, meaning a criminal can potentially access it. A far […]

If you’re using a password manager, keep your backup credentials safe

Good password managers let you have one master password along with a provided backup code. The backup code exists in case you forget your master password. Keep this information somewhere safe, perhaps on an encrypted external storage drive, so that you can securely access your accounts in the event of a forgotten master password without […]

Be careful of online stores that ask for personal info

Watch out for e-commerce sites asking for personally identifying information. E-commerce sites only really need two main data points from you: 1) your payment information, like a credit card number and 2) your shipping address. If they ask for anything else, consider finding an alternative. You don’t need to supply your Social Security number just […]

If you’re getting notices of new credit accounts being opened under your name that you don’t recognize, freeze your credit

Someone who has your personal information can use it to try to open fake credit accounts under your name. If you receive notices of new credit accounts being opened that you aren’t aware of, immediately notify your credit card company. You’ll also want to go on all three major credit bureaus’ websites — Experian, Equifax […]