Every day, millions of people use the Internet. They can hardly imagine that their data will be stolen one day. Such irresponsible user behavior may result in significant losses, including financial losses. Discover some effective methods to protect your data from fraud that you can use right now!
Numerous services use your data, for example, term paper writing services review websites that are extremely popular among users. Furthermore, some of them provide an automatic password and personal information entry for greater convenience and time savings when performing transactions. Such comfort, however, may one day be the source of your headache and nervous breakdown.
How? Everything is straightforward; spyware is also actively developing. In today’s world, where people are less concerned with data security, fraudsters can easily hack your accounts or steal databases containing your contacts, email addresses, and personal information. Why pay attention to data security?
Why Is It Crucial To Protect Your Data?
Identity theft allows fraudsters to act on the victim’s behalf, commit criminal acts using their friends and colleagues’ trust (for example, borrowing money or sending spam with content infected by viruses), or use it for other illegal purposes (taking a loan, renting something, etc.).
If the attackers obtain information such as the person’s name, phone number, and email address, he is very likely to be added to the list of potential phishing victims. He will receive personalized letters containing malicious code or links to virus-infected resources, for example, on behalf of a friend or a company with which he does business.
Personal data can also be used to gather information about a person and to generate passwords for their accounts on various services.
According to studies, 40% of participants in the experiment automatically opened similar letters and clicked on untrustworthy links, which resulted in serious problems later. Here are some useful tips that will help you to protect your data from fraud.
5 Ways to Protect Your Data on the Internet From Fraudsters
The rules of “digital hygiene” can help you protect yourself from the actions of hackers. Here are the most important ones:
- Create An Email Address To Participate In Surveys And Marketing Campaigns
The primary cause of data theft and personal account hacking is users’ careless attitude toward personal data. People frequently give their phone number or email address mindlessly to participate in marketing studies or receive bonus cards.
An average person can hardly imagine how many resources store this information. As a result, experts recommend that people do not indicate in questionnaires the electronic box that they use for important tasks and that they do not use a personal box for work correspondence. It makes sense to create a separate email for such services to protect yourself from the actions of criminals.
- Use Complex Passwords And Questions To Restore An Account
If your e-mail address is not highlighted anywhere, the attacker will not search everything based on the postal address combination to try to steal your data. He will most likely prefer to hack the account of someone who disregards personal security and enters his postal address on all resources.
Such people, as a rule, do not consider using complex password combinations. Instead, they use dates of birth or combinations of first and last names. An attacker will have no trouble hacking into such an account.
In addition, attackers may attempt to gain access to your mailbox by answering security questions. As a result, one should avoid asking questions like “What’s your mother’s maiden name?” or “What’s your dog’s name?” because the answers can be found on your social networks.
It is preferable to select something unconventional. Attackers will not waste time on your account if you create a 15-character uppercase and lowercase password with numbers and special characters. They will prefer to hack lighter ones. Furthermore, data security experts recommend that you do not use the same password for all accounts.
You can set up a separate mailbox to receive all store news, super actions, sales, and so on, with a simple password like “1111.” After all, this information will not matter even if this email box is hacked. Strong passwords are a better way to protect truly important services.
- Use A Virtual Card
It is best to use a credit card with a small amount of money or a virtual card for online purchases. Many banks have the option of launching this through a mobile application. In most cases, it is impossible to access such cards and steal money if one knows the number of a person’s regular bank card.
- Do Not Install Every Single Application On Your Phone
With the advancement of technology, numerous applications for editing videos, photos, and pictures, learning foreign languages, etc., have appeared on the market. In most cases, users click on advertisements for such applications without realizing that a seemingly innocuous action can have serious consequences.
That is why it is advisable not to click on dubious links, even if they are sent to you by a friend, and not to install applications from untrustworthy sources. Check what rights and information applications request and what information they will store before installing it.
In the event of a suspicious request, carefully check the email address of the person who sent the message to ensure that he is exactly who he claims to be, do not click on links, and do not open attachments unless you are certain that they are addressed to you and that they do not pose a threat to your personal data.
It is also important to use licensed software and keep it up to date. Installing additional information security will assist you in creating a barrier against fraudsters and preventing theft.
- Be More Private About Yourself And Your Life
Users are frequently asked to fill out a questionnaire to receive a bonus card or access a service, but providing real personal information is not required. If you make a purchase in an online store and are asked to enter your date of birth, this information can be used both for you and against you, especially if the information is stolen.
In this case, several devious methods can be used:
- You can change your date of birth by a few days and still receive a gift and protect your data.
- You can also change one letter in the last name if it is unimportant for delivery.
As you can see, the fundamental principles of personal data protection are simple and effective. They will protect vital information and aid in the prevention of its theft. It only takes a few minutes to update your passwords and security questions to restore your accounts, and you will not have to worry about scammers stealing your personal information.
