Protecting your digital footprint

Protecting your digital footprint - controlling your data online

Protecting your data online is synonymous with protecting yourself and your identity and should be an important priority. Luckily, most major sources of personal information can be set so that we share only certain things with the general public. Read on for more tips for how to protect your data online.

1. Know what’s out there
Have you ever tried Googling yourself? See what you can find and evaluate whether the findings about yourself are negative, positive or neutral. It’s important to realize that potential employers and creditors can easily conduct a search like this so it is necessary to take steps to remove or restrict what people can see about you online.

2. Private your posts
Any posts you wouldn’t want your employer or lender to see should be set to private on your social media accounts. Make sure to regularly double check the settings on your various social media channels as they are subject to change.

3. Keep your software up to date
Viruses are an online threat to your work life, personal life, finances and reputation. It is extremely crucial that your antivirus protection software is up to date. Make sure you have installed the most recent, effective security on your devices.

4. Use strong passwords
The days of setting your password to “password123” are over. A good password must include capital letters, numbers and symbols that cannot be easily guessed. Try to avoid using your name or significant dates.

5. It’s there forever
Hitting delete does not completely erase something from the Internet. Anything you post and delete can still be stored in databases and will likely be there forever—so think twice before posting!

To learn how we can help manage and protect your data, explore our records management services.