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7 Ways we leak our Private Data

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Smartphone apps. There are apps wanting your location when they do not need it. Are there any apps requesting your location? You should deny them this information unless it’s absolutely necessary.

2PAnother way your phone knows where you are in terms of location is through the data of a photo. Put up lots of photos on Facebook, and the metadata will contain your location. A stranger can then figure out your where you’ve parked yourself.

Solve this problem with these apps for iOS and Android: deGeo and Pixelgarde, respectively. They’ll rid your GPS data prior to the photos getting posted.

Too close for comfort. When services are linked together, your private information is more likely to get leaked. An example would be to hook an app into Facebook. If you link an account, that’s set to private, with a second, public account, anyone might see your activities. Unknowingly granting unwanted access to an app can result in data leakage. To make the process of figuring out all the different privacy rules, you can use MyPermissions. Don’t be lax on privacy issues.

Always being connected. Always staying connected to social networks means they can track your activities via cookies. If you don’t need to be connected online, then disconnect your device from the cyber world. However, it’s easy to forget to keep doing this.

A browser extension can solve this problem by preventing entities from tracking where you visit online. You should also make a habit of deleting cookies from your browser.

And if you want to know how your phone “knows” your shopping habits, it’s because your Wi-Fi is enabled when you walk into stores or even past a retailer without ever stepping inside; stores implement wireless technology to collect your data, even track your walking pattern inside the store. Turn your Wi-Fi connection off when being near retailers.

A retailer’s free service. Sign up for this and they’ll probably collect data from you, somehow, some way. The customer reward card that you get at the supermarket will likely collect lots of your private information.

Not encrypting. Encryption, by scrambling messages, prevents snoops from reading the messages you’re sending while they’re in transit, but the messages can still be found on your device. However, encryption is one way to reduce the amount of data that gets in unwanted hands. Encryption isn’t just for using a public computer; use it on your home computer and mobile too.

Using free WiFi. Every time you log into free WiFi you are either giving your data away through the carrier who logs your device or criminal hackers are sniffing out your information via unencrypted wireless. Never log into free WiFi without a virtual private network (VPN ) like that offered by Hotspot Shield.

Using a public computer to log into a private service. When you access one of your accounts on a computer at a coffee shop or hotel, this can leave your data on that computer. The browser’s private mode is the solution: use it. If you’re particularly concerned, use Tails, a private operating system.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield VPN. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Online Tax Time Scams: How to Avoid

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Filing your taxes online is convenient but also comes with some potential security problems. My job as an expert in all things online-security is to spell out what these online tax scam risks are and how to avoid them. As you get ready to file your taxes this year, here are some things you should know about.

9DThere were billions of fraudulent refunds that the IRS discovered for just 2012. Both consumers and business owners (small to medium) are being targeted by hackers during tax time. Following are tax time scams that are related to online filing:

  • Phishing: If you get an unsolicited email that seems to be from the IRS or similar, requesting personal information (especially bank account information, passwords or PINs) or claiming you’re being audited, it’s time to smell a big rotting phish. The IRS will never contact you via email, text message or social media. Make sure you don’t click on any links or open or download any attachments if you even suspect that the message is fake. Report any time of phishing to phishing@irs.gov.
  • The fake IRS agent: Crooks will pose as IRS agents and contact you by email or phone. They’ll already have a few details about you, probably lifted off your Facebook page, using this information to convince you they’re the real deal. If you sense a scam, go to IRS.gov/phishing.
  • The rogue tax preparer: It’s best to use a reputable tax return service, rather than an independent-type preparer. After all, some of these preparers have been known to charge extra high fees for getting you a bigger return, or steal some of your refund.

Additional Tips for Online Tax Time Scam Protection

  • Protect your data. From the moment they arrive in your mailbox, your personal information (financial institution numbers, investment records, Social Security numbers, etc.) must be secured. Don’t give personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact and are sure of the recipient.
  • Chuck the papers. Opt for electronic statements to be received via email to eliminate paper statements coming into your mail box where thieves could get at them.
  • Check and monitor your statements. To ensure that you’re not a victim, the best thing to do is to monitor you monthly bank statements and do a credit report at least once a year.
  • Use a clean machine. Make sure that the computer you use is not infected or compromised. The operating system and browser should be updated. It should have comprehensive, up to date security software, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service, which protects all your devices, you data and your identity.

If you’re vigilant and follow these guidelines and you won’t have to deal with online (or offline) tax time scams. You can also watch this video from the IRS.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  (Disclosures)

10 Tips to Keep Your Data Private Online

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The Internet has become an essential tool for most of us and a part of our everyday lives. We rely on it to send/receive emails, post/share photos and messages on social networking sites, shop for clothes, search for information, etc. But how do all these online activities affect your privacy?

2PYour online privacy depends on your ability to control both the amount of personal information that you provide and who has access to that information. Unfortunately, some of us are too casual and careless with how we manage our personal information and activities online. This leaves us vulnerable to identity theft and invasion of our privacy, both from legitimate and illegitimate sources.

That’s because your personal information, including your email address, phone number and Social Security number and other personally identifiable information, is worth a lot of money. The bad guys will use it to steal from you and businesses want to know as much about you as possible so they can sell you more products and services or serve you ads that are highly relevant to your demographics and preferences.

So take these simple steps to protect your valuable personal information:

  1. Be careful what you share and post online. Remember, don’t post or share anything that you wouldn’t want shared publically, even if you think you’re just sending it to one person.
  2. Don’t freely give out personal information online any more than you would to a stranger on the street. Keep personal information (such as your hometown, birth date with year and phone number) off social networks.
  3. Don’t send any sensitive information when connecting over public Wi-Fi (e.g. don’t do banking or shop online)
  4. Use private browsing mode on your Internet browser or at least turn off your browser cookies.
  5. Never reply to spam or unknown messages, whether by email, text, IM or social networking posts from people you don’t know—especially if it’s for an offer that sounds too good to be true.
  6. Only friend or connect with people online you know in real life.
  7. Make sure when you’re providing any personal information online that the site uses encryption (look for https:// in the URL) and check to see how they are using your personal data in their privacy policy.
  8. Be aware of location services with your smartphone or tablet. Turn off the GPS on your mobile device’s camera and only allow
  9. Routinely update your social media privacy settings to ensure your profile is appropriately protected and also make sure to change your passwords on your accounts at least 3x a year.
  10. 10. Make sure all your devices are protected with comprehensive security, like McAfee LiveSafe™ service that provides not only antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, anti-spam and a firewall, but also protects your data and identity on your PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.

Robert Siciliano is an Online Security Expert to McAfee. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Mobile was Hacked!  Disclosures.