As a homeowner, you likely have a lot of personal information spread throughout your house. Whether it’s junk mail, important documents, or digital files, it’s essential to protect that information from falling into the wrong hands. If you don’t take precautions to protect your data, you could be opening yourself up to identity theft or other fraudulent activities. In this article, we are going to talk about some helpful tips to keep your personal information safe at home and online.
Create Strong Passwords
Passwords provide the first line of defense against unauthorized access to your personal information. The stronger your password, the more protected your information is.
When creating passwords, avoid using simple, recognizable words or numbers. Many sites now require you to use a combination of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. It’s wise to avoid writing down your password, but if you need to, make sure it’s a secure place that no one else can access.
Be Careful Where You Share Personal Information Online
In today’s digital age, it’s important to be careful about where you share your personal information online. When creating accounts for social media sites, online shopping, or any other type of website, make sure you understand how the site plans to use your information.
Many sites will sell your personal information to third-party advertisers without your consent. To avoid this, only provide the bare minimum amount of information when creating an account. When possible, use a pseudonym instead of your real name.
Get To Know Privacy Policy For Electronic Use
When you sign up for an online service, you’re usually asked to agree to the company’s privacy policy. This document outlines how the company plans to use your personal information.
It’s important to take the time to read and understand a company’s privacy policy before agreeing to it. If you don’t feel comfortable with how they plan to use your information, look for another service.
Keep Your Home Secure
Your home is likely full of personal information, from bills and tax documents to family photos and heirlooms. Maintaining a secure home is crucial to keeping information safe.
Make sure all doors and windows are locked when you leave the house, even if it’s just for a short time. If you have a security system, make sure it’s turned on. If you don’t have a security system, consider investing in one.
Store Paper Documents Safely
If you have paper documents with sensitive information, it’s important to store them safely. Keep them in a locked filing cabinet or safe. If you don’t have a way to lock them up, consider keeping them in a secure location like a safety deposit box at your bank.
Shred Unwanted Documents
When you no longer need documents that contain personal information, make sure you shred them before throwing them away. This will prevent someone from going through your trash and finding sensitive information.
If you don’t have a paper shredder, the best solution is to use a residential paper shredding service from a shredding provider, as they are trained in protecting information. Their shredding process is much more secure as not only do they shred the documents, but they also recycle them afterward, which makes your information completely recoverable.
No matter what measures you take to protect your personal information, it’s always important to stay vigilant. Keep an eye on the news for any new privacy breaches, and make sure you’re taking steps to safeguard your data, both digital and hardcopy.
With ATI Secure Docs, you can keep your private information secure. We offer one-time purge shredding, scheduled shredding, and hard drive shredding services. We deliver the convenience of a pick-up or drop-off service.
Contact us today to learn more about our shredding services.