Recognizing Data Privacy Week: Take control of your data

People are spending more time online than ever before – which means more personal information is being shared than ever before. While you can’t control how every piece of data you share online is collected – from your health data collected by an app or smartwatch to your online purchases providing insight into your behaviors – you still have a right to data privacy. Our top tips for making informed decisions about sharing your personal data will help you have a better understanding of how your personal information is shared.

1. Privacy settings: Nearly all apps, retailer websites, financial services providers and social media accounts have privacy and security settings that can be customized to your preferred level of security. We recommend making updates that result in sharing less data, which could include:

• Limiting an app’s access to your phone’s microphone or camera roll.
• Updating the use of your geographic location services to “only when using the app” instead of “always share location.”
• Unlinking accounts across different services to decrease the amount of data you share with a single company or service. Linking multiple accounts under one entity puts you at greater risk in the event of a data breach.

2. Control your cookies: Cookies are used to analyze website traffic, track browsing habits and even share your personal data with third-party websites that you may not even be aware of. Before you click that “Accept All Cookies” button, think again. Carefully review the terms for each website and only accept necessary cookies from trusted websites. Check your browser settings to customize your cookies at any time.

3. Secure your accounts: Data security is critical to maintaining data privacy. The three best ways to secure your accounts are:

• Ensuring your passwords are unique, difficult to crack and changed often. Use a password manager to store your passwords so you can easily maintain all your accounts without the headache of remembering your unique passwords.
• Enabling multi-factor authentication across your accounts, wherever it’s available to keep your accounts safe, even if your password is compromised.
• Turning on automatic software updates for your phone, browsers and applications as new versions include enhanced security patches that proactively protect against cyber threats.

4. Make informed decisions: Before registering for a new account, ask yourself if the information that’s being requested is necessary for you to utilize the service. If the answer is no, read their privacy policy for more details or find an alternative provider.

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Stay safe online and maintain a healthy level of caution and skepticism when it comes to granting access to and sharing personal or financial information. Happy Data Privacy Week!