If you’ve ever worried whether your personal information is safe online, you’re not alone. Whether you’re scrolling social media or shopping online, your data may be at risk. But Consumer Reports says there are some easy steps you can take right now to help keep your information from being stolen online.
Every other day, it seems like there’s another data breach in the headlines or a letter in the mail offering free credit monitoring from a company targeted by hackers. Consumer Reports says now is the time to take action to help protect your personal data.
Don’t wait until your favorite social media account is compromised before you start taking steps to secure your account. Just like you wouldn’t wait until your house is broken into before getting a lock.
And the easiest way to do that is to use a password manager. The good thing about a password manager is it remembers all your unique and secure passwords, so you don’t have to.
1Password Families is one of the top options in CR’s password manager ratings.
And Keeper offers a free option for a single mobile user.
Setting up multi-factor authentication on your accounts adds an extra layer of security. It requires a second form of identification to log in so hackers can’t access your accounts even if they have your password.
If you’re not using multi-factor authentication and your password is leaked, attackers will use a combination of your username and that password in every account, they can find. So, you want to make sure that they’re not finding other accounts that they can get into. That includes the old music, dating, or social media accounts you don’t use anymore.
One way to clear a lot of your online data at once is with CR’s Permission Slip app. Even with the free version, you can see what data companies collect about you and request that they don’t sell it anymore or that they delete it altogether.
And if your data is stolen, it’s important to change your passwords immediately and keep a close eye on your accounts for any unusual activity.
If you need a little help getting started Consumer Reports’ free online tool, Security Planner, offers step-by-step guidance, so you’ll know what to do, including expert tips to improve your digital safety and privacy online.
Consumer Reports says the best time to protect your data is before it’s stolen.