"In a world where everyone is over exposed, the coolest thing you can do is maintain your mystery."
***
Top 10 reasons to keep your personal information private
If you think your personal information is secure, think again. Keeping your information safe is now the exception, not the rule. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, an astounding 64% of Americans have had their personal information exposed by a data breach of some kind.
Of this group:
>41% experienced fraudulent credit card charges.
>35% had important information (such as an account number) compromised.
>16% had their email accounts hacked.
>13% had someone else take control of their social media account.
>15% had their Social Security number revealed.
>14% had someone try to take out lines of credit or loans in their name.
>6% had an impostor file fraudulent tax returns under their name.
Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people on the Internet who are looking to take advantage of you. As such, it's important to learn what kinds of information these individuals are looking for and how they can use your data to harm you. More importantly, you need to know how to protect yourself by guarding your information online.
What type of information should you protect?
The most important type of information to keep private is personally identifiable information (PII).
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, PII is "Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual's identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual."
Some examples of PII are:
Names: Your full name, your maiden name, and your mother's maiden name.
Personal ID numbers: Your social security number, driver's license number, passport number, patient ID number, taxpayer ID number, credit account number, or financial account number
Addresses: Your street address and email address
Biometrics: Retina scans, fingerprints, facial geometry, or voice signatures
Vehicle ID or title numbers
Phone numbers
Technology asset information: Media Access Control (MAC) or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that are tied to a certain individual
While this list may seem exhaustive, it doesn't cover all the personal information you need to protect. You also need to worry about what you post (and what others post about you) on social media and other sharing sites, because these things serve as clues to your true identity when combined with the PII in the previous list.
Why you should keep your personal information private
Securing your personal information can help you:
1. Prevent identity theft
Identity theft occurs when someone gains access to your personal information and pretends to be you online. Individuals who have accessed your personal data can retrieve your login information for various websites or commit cyber crimes such as tax fraud, all while posing as you. Identity theft is the type of crime that can have long-lasting repercussions for both your digital privacy and your online reputation.
According to a report by Javelin Strategy & Research, a record 16.7 million people experienced identity theft in 2017, and this number is likely to increase as the Internet becomes an even bigger part of our daily lives. However, you can lower the odds of experiencing identity theft by reducing the amount of information you provide:
Only fill out required fields: When you must fill out a profile or online form to use a product or service, only fill out the fields that are absolutely necessary and offer as few details about yourself as possible.
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