
Millions of people are unaware of and uninformed about how their personal information is being used, collected or shared in our digital society.
Data Privacy Day is recognized on January 28 each year. As part of an ongoing awareness campaign for safer online practices, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) aims to inspire dialogue and empower individuals and companies to take action.
Here are a few ways you can be proactive and protect yourself from falling prey to identity theft.
11 tips to protect yourself from ID theft
- Update your privacy settings by using a tool created by the NCSA.
- Keep your Social Security number (SSN) secure — never carry the card with you or enter it online.
- Don’t share sensitive personal information: your birthdate, SSN or banking information.
- Collect your mail every day.
- Pay attention to your billing cycles and when you should expect them to arrive in the mail.
- Always use your phone’s security features.
- Never access password-protected or financial accounts on public wi-fi. Update firewall and sharing settings when in public.
- Shred all financial paperwork.
- Create complex passwords and store them in a password vault. Change them often.
- Review credit reports annually.
- If you’re a parent, here are 6 tips for raising privacy-savvy kids.
If you are a victim of ID theft, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will create a report and a recovery plan for you.
It’s important to stay alert in our increasingly connected digital world. For more tips on how you can keep you and your business financially safe, contact Morgan & Associates for expert bookkeeping advice.