The Family Times May 2018

family matters

Protecting Your Personal Information While on Your

Phone By, Lauren Kolacki Lock your phone. Set up your device so that fingerprint authentication or a code is needed to unlock your phone.

Know to erase data remotely. If your phone is lost or stolen, erasing its data can prevent someone from accessing your personal information. Back up your data. If the data on your phone is backed up on a regular basis, you can easily transfer it to a new device. If necessary. Keep your operating system and your apps up to date. Updates not only provide new features, they often include security fixes as well. Don’t take the bait. Clicking on links in text or email messages on your phone can provide hackers access to your accounts and personal information. Don’t overshare. Be careful about the information you are sharing with apps, and understand what information they are sharing with third parties. When possible, adjust your privacy settings to limit what data the apps can access. Avoid publicWi-Fi. Using unsecure connections puts your data at risk. Many of us use our phones to help manage our finances, coordinate our calendars, and stay in touchwith family and friends, so it makes sense that we would feel a sense of panic without it. But the very information on the phone that enables us to do all this is a treasure trove for hackers looking to steal your identity. Perhaps not surprisingly, millennials and social media users were more likely to fear having their phone lost or stolen. But all of us should follow these tips to keep our phone and personal information safe – even when the device is in our possession. how

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Family Times

MAY 2018