Technology, and the advent of things like smartphones, have undoubtedly made our lives easier. Essentially, we’re all walking around with an incredible supercomputer in our pockets that can connect us to practically anything or anyone at any time.
While smartphones, devices and even the social media platforms we use seem mostly innocent on the surface, there’s a number of things to consider when it comes to safety and security. Here’s what you can do to keep not just yourself, but your entire family safer online.
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Social Media Settings
We all use social media for different reasons, whether it’s to keep in touch with distant family and friends or as a networking tool. Whatever the reason, privacy and security should be taken seriously. A recent study conducted by Viasat Savings found that 71 percent of respondents took the time to check their advanced privacy settings upon joining a social media platform.
Doing so gives users the ability to control the data sharing and off-platform activity including location information that social media companies used to personalize your online experiences, ad preferences, data sharing with other companies and the activity outside of the social media site like the websites you visit.
Users can also take action by adjusting privacy settings to manage who sees your posts, photos and personal information, an important step to take when it comes to safety online.
Strong and Secure Wi-Fi Passwords
Passwords are the first line of defense when it comes to cybersecurity. Unfortunately, your password is not as strong as you think it is. According to data from Pew Research, 39 percent of consumers report that most of their passwords are the same or very similar. This is likely because many people have a hard time keeping track of their passwords and that complex passwords are too hard to remember.
While a strong password is essential, it’s not always fail-proof. To keep your information safe, consider using a strong password and two-factor authentication. In addition, investing in a LifeLock membership is a great way to keep your information more secure.
LifeLock uses innovative alert tools and monitoring technology to safeguard sensitive information like credit and finances. By implementing all three, you can have peace of mind knowing that your information isn’t compromised.
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Encryption for Portable Hard Drives
In today’s current climate, more families are working remotely and more kids are learning from home than ever before. Living rooms have become conference centers and small corners of the house have transformed into mini classrooms. And there’s a good chance the devices in your home, from monitors and iPads to portable hard drives and headphones, are being shared.
It’s not always easy to keep an eye on all of your tech, however, you can ensure sensitive information or special projects stored on portable hard drives can remain protected by using encryption. This method of protection is commonly used to protect information and does so by ensuring that only authorized users can view stored files and other data. Next time the entire family is sharing the computer at home, everything from term papers to sensitive work projects is safe with encryption.
The online safety and security of your family are more important than ever before. By taking actions to protect your data and information, from adjusting your privacy settings on your favorite social media apps to encrypting your hard drives and utilizing online identity and theft protection tools, you can ensure that everyone stays safe and secure when they’re online.
