EMPOWER - Module 8 - Using Information

What About Privacy?

Your Information's Privacy & Security are Very Important.

Online Tips:

• Never share your Social Security number
• Always use strong passwords 
  • Make sure they are:
    • Private
    • Regularly Changed
    • Unique
• Always log out of your accounts after using a public computer
• Do not post too much about yourself
  • Posts detailing personal information can be used to answer password challenge questions
• Remember that everything you post is stored somewhere permanently
  • This is true even if you:
    • Use strong privacy settings on your accounts
    • Delete posts
• Unless you initiated the interaction, never give information by:
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Website Form
• Avoid clicking links in emails
  • Open a browser and check your account for problems directly
  • Locate the customer service contact information directly from their website and confirm they sent the email
• Use different emails or devices for different purposes (i.e. school/work, shopping, financial)
• Before sending personal information on a website, look for indications that it is encrypted:
  •  A  padlock icon in your browser's status bar
  • URLs beginning with https
• Use reputable platforms for shopping

Device Security Tips:
    

• Always log off and/or lock your devices
• Never leave your devices unattended
• Ensure your devices have an activated and regularly updated:
  • Anti-virus software
  • Anti-spyware software
  • Firewall on your devices
• If sent by strangers, never open or download:
  • Files
  • Links
  • Applications/Programs
• Be cautious opening files/links from known emails:
  • They may have been hacked
• When sending personal information use:
  • Encrypted websites
  • Secure wireless networks
• Do not entrust your information to the security of public Wi-Fi

Offline Tips:

• Print your information on public printers only when necessary
  • Ensure you know which printer you are sending it to before printing
  • Retrieve your printed document immediately
• Secure all your financial documents and records
• Only carry the cards you need, leaving the rest at home
• Shred important documents when you no longer need them:
  • Receipts
  • Credit applications
  • Insurance and health documents
  • Financial records
• Opt-out of pre-screened offers (see links below) for:
  • Credit
  • Insurance
• Request/review your credit reports (see link below) every year

Additional Resources: