As digitalization is a blessing, it has turned out to be a headache as well. Yes, digitalization helps you do multiple personal and professional tasks with a single click from your smartphone. However, it also increases the risks of your data being compromised.
Let’s take the example of your credit or debit cards. All you have to do is just swipe them in the ATM, and the cash withdrawal process completes. But what if your ATM password and other necessary credentials get compromised? Then obviously, you’ll have to take data protection measures more seriously.
Why is Data Protection Necessary?
Interestingly, in the USA:
- The credit card frauds percentage in 2019 reached 44.7%
- ID theft cases hit 1,387,615 figure in 2020
- People aged between 30 and 39 were primary targets of data thefts
What’s more concerning is that these stats just represent credit cards and identity thefts.
What about personal email security? A compromised email means the hacker can access your social media accounts and your work-related documents. How can you make this data safe? Let’s find out!
5 Tips to Protect Your Personal Data
Whether it is your personal data such as images, videos, audios, podcasts, credit/debit card details, or your work-related documents, data protection is necessary. Here are some effective data protection tips for you.
1. Protect Your Credit-Related Details
The biggest threats linked with identity theft include someone getting a loan on your name and credentials. This is unfortunately very common in the US and other parts of the world. The worst part is that you may not be aware of what’s happening until you decide to buy a house or a car for yourself and see your credit ruined. That sounds scary, right? Here is what you can do to minimize this threat.
- Fraud alert features. Fraud alerts immediately notify you whenever a lender tries to verify your identification for lending purposes. However, it is important to know that you have to renew fraud alerts after 90 days.
- Credit freeze. A credit freeze basically protects your credit report. When a third party, such as lenders, fails to access your credit reports, it becomes very difficult for them to grant the loan. Obviously, no lender will lend money without credit reports. Yes, you may have to pay some fees for a credit freeze, but it is worth it.
2. Set Strong Passwords on Your Devices
Your laptop, tablet, and mobile phone are your personal assistants, but they can also be trouble makers. If someone steals your personal device(s), it is highly likely that they may use your personal data for the wrong reasons. Therefore, it is important to set passwords on your devices. In fact, the latest smartphones allow you to set passwords on specific folders or files stored in the phone.
3. Use Two-Factor Authentication on Your Email and Social Media Accounts
Two-factor authentication is very helpful in reducing data breaches. Banks, financial institutions, email service providers, and social media vendors often allow you to set-two factor authentication. This way, when someone tries to log in to any of your personal accounts, you will get a notification via text or email. In fact, it is sometimes necessary to enter the code sent to your mobile or email to complete the login process.
4. Use a Virtual Data Room
People often associate data room services with businesses and corporations, which is true. However, they forget that data rooms are basically data repositories. You can store your personal and work-related data in online data room software without worrying about data security threats.
Yes, an online data room is not free of cost, but you as an individual can use a virtual data room in many ways. Here are some of them.
Use It as a Data Repository
If you are a legal advisor, financial advisor, accountant, banker, freelancer, etc., you can certainly use a virtual data room. The above-mentioned professionals have to deal with intense paperwork, clients’ personal details, keep track of projects they are dealing with, and whatnot.
Can you imagine the amount of sensitive data a legal advisor deals with 10-15 clients at the same time? On top of that, a data breach can make them face lawsuits.
Virtual data rooms can help you keep data safe because of their multiple security features, including:
- Two-factor authentication
- Digital watermarking
- Data encryption features
- Remote device purging
Use It as a Communication Tool
Professionals can use virtual data rooms as a communication or collaboration tool. As a data room administrator, you can add people to it and share documents with them. In fact, you can add your work team to the data room and communicate safely.
Apart from that, real estate agents, financial advisors, lawyers, etc., can add their clients to the data room and collaborate in a safe environment.
If you wish to know more about virtual data rooms, here is the link to follow https://data-rooms.us/
5. Update Your Software Regularly
Cyberthreats take new shapes regularly, and you need to stay updated. Therefore, it is highly recommended you update operating systems, antiviruses, applications, etc. Updated versions help you minimize the chances of data breaches.
Summing It Up
Data protection measures have become more important because of growing data security concerns. Whether it is your personal data or work material, you cannot compromise on protective measures. And to do that, you can take some help from our tips mentioned above.