Securing Your Data

There are many actors out there trying to get their hands on your personal data. Many of them are criminals. Protecting your data reduces the chances of you being targeted for scams, hacks, and identity theft.

Here are 3 tips to securing your data.

1. Complete Software Updates for Your Devices

Software updates can seem like a pain but they are actually extremely important to do early and often. 

This is because Software updates are a way for the manufacturer to patch any security issues that were recently identified. For example, here is an article in Forbes that explains why the most recent iPhone update was so important. 

You can imagine software updates like vehicle safety inspection. Just like our cars need periodic checkups and oil changes, so do our devices.

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Software updates can also have unintended consequences and changes to what we're used to (can you imagine your car accelerator and brakes requiring a different touch all of the sudden?) which is why we all hesitate and procrastinate to do it, but it's important to remember the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences. 

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2. Avoid Connecting to Public Wifi

Public wifi is any wifi that you’re connecting to for free with no password. 

The risk with public wifi is that a scammer can watch all of your online activity. The scammer can get your personal data or even install malware. 

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Going on public wifi is like doing somersaults in a dog park. You may not see it, but danger lurks.

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Pro tip: If you must connect to public wifi, utilize a VPN or virtual protected network to keep your data safe. Learn more about VPN's here.

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3. Regularly Backup Your Data

Backing up your data is helpful because it ensures you have a copy of the data if your device gets damaged or stolen. There are three common scenarios where backing up your data is vital.

• Your device gets lost, stolen, or damaged
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• A scammer is holding your data hostage scammer to take your data for ransom.
  • Sometimes a scammer might steal your data and hold it for ransom. If you have your data backed up you can tell the scammer where to go.
• You accidentally click on a malware link and need to factory reset
  • A factory reset is the easiest solution but also wipes your device clean ,including your data

Pro Tip: I only backup critical data like photos and documents to reduce the amount of storage required. 

Bonus Tip: Avoid Sharing Personal Data

There are many places on the internet asking us to share personal data. 

Recently I had my child’s recreational soccer league ask for a copy of their birth certificate. The issue isn’t that I don’t trust the soccer league. The issue is do I trust the digital protections the soccer league has in place? The answer is no. 

The less personal data we have on the internet the less likely we are to be targeted by scammers and a victim of a scam. 

Think twice before sharing any personal data on the internet. 
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‍Pro Tip: You can request to have your data removed from the internet. Reach out to Catch to help you remove your data. You can learn more about that here.