1. Change passwords once a month. Passwords are the
keys into your life. If a criminal gets access to your email or any of
your online accounts, it's surprisingly easy for them to worm their way
into other aspects of your life.
Assume your passwords will periodically get compromised. Adobe, AOL, eBay, Kickstarter and Yahoo have all had major security glitches in the past few months.
2. Give the wrong contact information at checkout.
Recent data breaches, like last year's Target hack, show that companies aren't responsible enough to safeguard that
information. Every time a store clerk asks for your zip code or phone number, that
data gets aggregated. So retailers not only have databases that show
where you live. They can find out much more about you, like your salary,
credit history and birthday.
3. Need photo ID? Don't show your driver's license. This is a general rule for privacy. Don't reveal more than you have to. A driver's license shows your birthday and address.
Next time your doctor's office asks for identification with a photo,
show them something else, like your office building badge
.
4. No banking apps. Be particularly careful about access to your bank accounts. Although most
credit cards have fraud protection, your checking and savings accounts
don't.
Because of how easy it is for a computer to get infected
with a malware that spies on you, we don't recommend shopping and banking on the
same computer.
5. Keep one email account for junk mail only. When companies demand an email address, give them a dummy address. That way you don't have to be bothered with all the spam and annoying advertisements; and it shields your real email from junk. Plus, if those companies get hacked, your
real account remains safe.
