CONSUMER FIRST ALERT: How to shore up your data privacy protection

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Saturday is Data Privacy Day and it’s a good time to shore up your online accounts with strong passwords.

Consumer experts recommend against using the same passwords for multiple accounts.

It’s also a good time to delete apps you don’t use. Go through your tablet or phone and update your privacy settings. Update settings for the kids, too.

If a website or app asks for access to your contacts or location, be sure you are comfortable with providing that information.

Hackers know people use the same logins for different accounts. Once they get a username and password for one account, they use them to gain access to multiple accounts.

“A lot of users are unknowingly giving away their personal information, their location. Some apps have facial recognition that they’re tracking. That’s being used and stored,” says Michael Domke, Direct, Bureau of Consumer Protection. “So making sure you understand what they’re tracking and how their using it and quite honestly, the ability to shut it off.”

A new report from Identity Theft Resource Center states 422 million people were victims of data breaches in 2022.

TIPS TO STRENGTHEN DATA PRIVACY

• Social media: Check out the privacy settings on your social media accounts. Disable functions that aren’t useful to you, like facial recognition or location tracking.
• Consider making your accounts private and disabling personalized ads, which track your behavior across the internet – not just on that single website.
• Tracking cookies: Cookies are small data files that track your browsing history and online behavior. They are usually used to target ads to your interests, or save login information like a username and password.
• Only allow cookies you are sure you want to track your data. You can delete cookies at any time in your browser’s settings.
• Providing your data: Be selective about who you share your data with. If a website or app asks for access to your contacts, camera, location, phone number, address, or other personal information, be sure you are comfortable with providing it. Don’t make hasty decisions.
• After granting a third party your data, it can be difficult or even impossible to track what happens to it. Read the service’s terms of use to be sure you know if anyone else will have access to your personal information.
• Data breaches: Even when an app or website is trusted and promises not to share your data, it may still fall into the wrong hands through either a mistake or data theft.
• Your exposed data may be sold to bad actors, used to scam you, or allow cybercriminals to commit identity theft. Do not give unnecessary personal information to third parties.
• Passwords: Never store your passwords on your device. Use different passwords for each account. Do not share your passwords with anyone except close, trusted individuals.
• Consider activating multifactor authentication, which requires a secondary passcode in addition to your password before you can log into your account.
• Downloads: Don’t download unnecessary apps and computer programs. If they require access to your device or personal data for no good reason, delete them. These programs and apps could contain viruses and malware which could steal your data or provide a cybercriminal with remote access to your device.
• Scams and fraud: Do not give strangers remote access to your device in any way. Double check that any request for your personal information comes from a real source, not an imposter. Do not send money to anyone you aren’t completely confident is legitimate. If you have doubts, ignore the request. Keep a cool head. Do not be scared into providing your personal information.

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