Data and information are the fuel in this digital age, and as much as they are useful, they also have consequences when they are not protected properly. Information such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is of very high value, and there’s always someone after your PII such as cybercriminals, advertisement agencies, and even the government. Most of the time, we end up making it easy for people to gain access to our PII, and hence we lose our privacy. This is through oversharing information on social media platforms. In this article, we’ll look at important personal details that you should never share online.
Your Location
Your LocationGeo-tagging your location on online posts might seem cool as you get people to know where you are, what restaurant you’ve taken your brunch, what hotel you’re staying, and every other place you have been. But this is a bad idea when cybercriminals and other malicious actors access this information. Location information enables them to track you and even predict your next destination within a certain area. Always turn off your location services when you’re not using them.
Hints about your passwords
Hints about your passwordsYou might create a strong, unique password but to help you remember it, you might use a hint of what you like most such as your pet’s name. Most of the times you might share posts about your pet doing everything. That’s enough info and a head start for malicious actors on where to start guessing your passwords. To be secure and keep your password private, use passwordless logins or use a password management utility.
Your address, phone, and social security number
Some online services require you to fill in forms with your PII. But before you do that, ensure your connection is secure and that the site is not spoofed. Some services might not require these details, but spoofed sites may require them. Also never share these details on social media platfor