Archives - Personal Information


Don’t throw out old computers without removing or destroying the hard drive first

Those who frequent dumpster sites can find metaphorical gold if someone throws out an old computer, even if it’s no longer functioning. This is because the hard drive is often intact, with all your personal data on it. Erasing the data ahead of time is generally insufficient, as all data can easily be recovered with […]

Ensure your data is securely encrypted

If you don’t want anyone stealing your personal info, make sure to encrypt your online submission. SSL and https are two encryption methods. You can usually spot them when you see a lock icon on the bottom right corner of the window. Most times, sites will also let you know if your data is encrypted […]

Look for the “s” in “https” when submitting information via a web form

The “s” in “https” stands for “secure.” If you’re ever submitting information on a web page that merely has the prefix “http” and doesn’t have the “s,” that means whatever data you put out there can be easily viewed by the other party. Don’t enter sensitive information into a web page unless it starts with […]

Set clear privacy rules for your social media accounts

Normally, by default, anything you post on social media is viewable to the public. If you don’t want everything you say and do to be made publicly viewable, adjust your privacy settings. You can, for example, make your posts only viewable to people you have listed as your friend. You can set some posts to […]

Are you sure that site is legitimate?

Typosquatting: hacking techniques are getting more complicated

Typosquatting is a big threat to cybersecurity. 

How to chat with chatbots

Chatbots are widely used to facilitate customer engagement, but they can be awkward and even risky to interact with. If you happen to receive an unexpected call asking, “can you hear me”, a voicemail message claiming that your warranty has expired (even if you don’t have one) or a chat message that suggests you enter […]