Protect Your Privacy
There is no guarantee that organizations will protect your personal information as much as you'd like. Even with strong security measures, someone could hack a company's databases. Data breaches make you vulnerable to phishing scams or identity theft. These tips can help you protect your privacy:
- Read the privacy policies from companies that you interact with. Look for privacy statements on websites, sales materials, and forms that you fill out.
- Find out how organizations protect your information from hackers and data breaches.
- Opt-out from organizations' subscription lists.
- Create strong passwords for your online accounts. Update your passwords, especially if a company reports a data breach.
- Use a VPN when you're on public wifi. VPN encrypts any data you send over a network.
- Disable cookies to prevent companies from tracking your online browsing habits.
- Find out from your state or local consumer agency if your state has laws to protect your privacy.