Cyber security tips: Four ways to protect your online presence

Deb Cabral
·2 min read

The number of online scams and hacks continues to steadily increase. Are you protecting your online presence? You can never be too careful.

There are some things you can do to protect yourself and avoid these risks. Consider trying these strategies:

1. Use multiple passwords

It’s critical to use multiple passwords. Utilize different and much stronger passwords for all of your important accounts.

Don’t share your passwords with anyone, even those for streaming services, especially if they have the same password as one or all of your important accounts, such as banking or insurance.

Avoid using your name (or any part of it), the name of any family members or dates of birth. Use letters, words, phrases and numbers in a combination that would be difficult for someone to know or guess.

2. Use a password manager

Avoid writing passwords on paper without storing it in a secure place. I use and recommend Keeper, a password managing app that allows you to store log-in information safely with easy access to all of your passwords. The cost is $29.99 annually for unlimited password storage. It’s well worth the small investment. I use the app every day.

3. Be very careful who you give your personal information to

Use extreme caution when downloading information from the internet, unless you know for sure where it is coming from. Many sites offer free download of information, but when you do, it installs spyware on your computer so others can access your private data. Don’t give your personal information to retailers or anyone by phone.

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4. Clear your browsing history

Tracking methods such as cookies can provide your information to advertisers, but it can make it available to hackers and scammers as well. It’s best to refresh your search history and then clear your browser on all of your devices often.

Take some time today to take the necessary steps to protect your online presence.

Look for more tips from Deb in the Observer Dispatch every other Sunday and on her websites decluttercoachdeb.com and dceffconsult.com. You can follow her on social media and watch her TV show Organization Motivation! organizationmotivation.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Cyber security tips: Four ways to protect your online presence