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15 tips to Spring Clean Your Digital Security

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As a security analyst for both off-line and online activity, which is personal protection and information security, I’m constantly analyzing my own security situation. This means paying attention to my surroundings, systems in place, the security of my hardware, software and data. One way to get a closer look at all of this and to get refocused, is to remove the clutter, upgrade technologies, and do a Spring Clean. I heavily recommend that you perform the following 15 tasks for tightening up your digital security affecting your overall security position.

7WClean up and secure your digital life:

1. Do away with useless files. Go through all folders, including the recycle bin, and discard files that you no longer use.

2. Organize media. Put music, photos, etc., in appropriately labeled folders. Maybe create a master folder for different kinds of related media.

3. Consolidate desktop icons. Perhaps you can put a few icons into another one if the topic is related: Put the “Muffin” and “Rover” files in one file labeled “Pets.” A desktop cluttered with icons will slow boot-up time. Consider “removing” an icon you hardly use; this won’t delete the program, but will get rid of the shortcut.

4. Uninstall programs you’ll never use. This will speed things up and reduce potential malware targeted software.

5. Review passwords. Update as necessary, making them unique, never the same, and use different characters upper/lower case and numbers. Install a “password manager”. Google it.

6. Make backups of important data on a flash drive or use online storage. Ideally, make a backup of your prized data that exists outside your house. I backup on 3 local drives and in the cloud in two places.

7. Consider reinstalling your operating system. This means gathering all your software and backing up all your data. Do a search on your devices OS and seek out “How to reinstall operating system Windows/Mac (your version)”

8. Mop up your system’s registry. This will clean out temporary files you do not need that have been picked up by your system over time. An accumulation of these files will slow your computer and make it prone to malware infections. CCleaner is a free tool that will do this job.

9. Update Internet security software. Use antivirus, antispyware, antiphishing and a firewall. Get a VPN for when using free wireless internet. Hotspot Shield is perfect. Google it.

10. Defragment your hard drive. For Windows 8 go to Files, then “defrag.” For older systems go to Program Files, Accessories, then System Tools. For the iOS, run its built-in Disk Utility app.

11. Install program updates. Updates include critical security parches: very important. For Windows go to Go to Start, Control Panel, All Programs and Windows Update. Click on “Check for updates” to see if you are up to date. For the iOS, go to the app store, then Updates.

12. Do not forget your mobile device. Update your smartphone, including weeding out unneeded apps. Update your mobile OS to the latest version. Several companies offer security apps that will scan a mobile’s apps. Some apps have features like a remote lock/locate/wipe that will prevent a thief from using your device should you lose it.

13. Social setting cleanup. Have you locked down how your private information on Facebook can be shared? If not, go to Privacy Settings, then Apps, then click “edit” which is next to “Apps others use.” Delete all your “friends” who really aren’t your friends.

14. Home security system. Upgrade this if it is old technology. New wireless home alarms connect to your network and include home automation features too. This includes surveillance cameras, motion detectors, glass break sensors and controlling lights and temperature. Opt for remote monitoring from any device using apps on mobiles and tablets.

15. Declutter your e-mail files. These can get very messy over time. First start with your in-box. What’s been sitting there for ages that you’ll never open? Delete it. Next go to the sent/trash folders and weed out no-longer-needed emails. Also scour through any other e-mail folders. Delete folders you no longer need, and/or trim down ones you still use but contain messages that are now meaningless.

Follow these 15 tips to spring clean your digital security. A freshly cleaned-out digital life will give you peace of mind and enhance your personal security. Taking the time to clean up your digital life will be well-worth it, so do not put it off any longer!

Robert Siciliano is a personal security expert to SecurityOptions.com discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures.

Privacy is more than locking your Doors

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There are 10 distinct meanings of privacy.

2PProtecting Reputation

You’ve heard of money management, right? Well, there’s also reputation management. There’s a difference between having facts about a person and then making judgments based on those facts. Often, judgments are skewered, and the result is a soured reputation.

Showing Respect

We must respect one’s desire to keep personal data about themselves personal. That’s why it’s called personal data. It’s not so much that revealing one’s private information would do little, if any, harm. It’s the principle of respect that’s the bigger picture.

Trust

Trust is vital in any kind of relationship, from personal to commercial to professional. When trust is broken in one relationship, this could cause a domino effect into other kinds of relationships.

Social Boundaries

We all need a sanctuary from people’s interest in us. When boundaries are crossed, relationships can be tarnished. Nobody really wants everyone to know everything about them, or vice versa.

Freedom to speak freely

We’re all free to think whatever we want without fear of repercussion, but turning those thoughts into speech is what can create problems—both real and perceived.

The Second Chance

Thank goodness that once we get our foot stuck in the railroad track, we can yank it out and start over. Having privacy promotes the second chance, the ability to make changes.

Control

You’ll be hard-pressed to come up with a transaction you can complete in public or online without forking over your personal data. Minus cold cash transactions, just about every move we make requires some revealing of personal information. And the more that your data is out there, the more likely someone can use it to control you.

Freedom of Political Association

Due to privacy, we can associate with political activities, and nobody ever has to know whom we voted for for a political office.

What others think of You is none of your Business

Privacy means never feeling you must explain or validate yourself to those near or far.

Robert Siciliano home security expert to Schlage discussing home security and identity theft on TBS Movie and a Makeover. Disclosures. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247.

Businesses fail in Customer Privacy

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The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index, released by TRUSTe®, shows an alarming trend: A high percentage of U.S. people over age 18 are unnerved about their online privacy, and this trend is worsening.

2PThis survey was conducted online among 2,019 U.S. adults and reveals that 92 percent of the participants are on edge, at least some of the time, concerning online privacy. Nearly three-quarters of Internet users in the U.S. are worried about privacy more so than a year ago. And more users worry about business data collection versus government surveillance programs.

Many businesses are not taking measures to mitigate this concern among users. This can backfire on businesses, e.g., more people not willing to download apps or click on ads. Protecting consumers is crucial to a company’s success—not just with customers but with competitors; companies should not cut corners here.

What are the top reasons for privacy concerns? The top two responses: 1) Businesses sharing personal data, and 2) Businesses tracking online behavior.

More specific findings:

  • 58 percent of respondents were worried about businesses giving out their personal information with other businesses
  • 47 percent worried about businesses tracking their online actions
  • Only 38 percent named media attention to government surveillance programs as a cause for concern.

What are consumers doing about all this?

  • 83 percent are leery of ad clicking.
  • 80 percent won’t use smartphone apps that apparently don’t protect privacy.
  • 74 percent aren’t comfortable enabling location tracking on their smartphone.

Other findings of the TRUSTe survey:

  • User concerns over online privacy are climbing: 92 percent of users worry about privacy.
  • Trust with businesses is declining, coming in at 55 percent currently.
  • 89 percent of consumers will refrain from conducting business with a company they don’t feel is protecting their online privacy.

The public wants more:

The tides of privacy are turning and the public is waking up. Businesses who fail to take action will surely be met with customer defection.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to AllClearID. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him knock’em dead in this identity theft prevention video. Disclosures.

Redefining Privacy Today

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Privacy is really -and only- what you say or do within your own home with the shades down that is (generally legal) and between you and your love-ones that is not being communicated, recorded, broadcasted or reproduced in any way online or in a public forum.

In the past 5 years we have learned that everything from the websites we visit, the apps we download, the social networks we belong to, and the mobile phones we carry, pretty much know everything about us down to the text messages we send and receive.

Privacy is a very hot topic and probably one of the most misunderstood since the turn of the century. Over the past decade a battle has been fought by three very distinctive groups and they are as follows:

#1 Privacy advocates: These are your everyday well meaning and well informed people all the way up to privacy professionals who, day in and day out preach the absolutes of privacy and why we need it. They are evangelists of the issues and tell anyone and everyone the importance of privacy whether they want to hear it or not.

#2 Sales, marketers, advertisers, SMB and big business who stand to gain from knowing every last details about what you like, don’t like, who your friends are, your income, and basically your over all demographics defined in 33 bits of data. They offer us all the free stuff we can consume online and build communities that tie us all together. They track us and sell our data and sell advertising targeted directly at you.

#3 The Cattle: These are your everyday people that just go with the herd and aren’t all that concerned about privacy but might care just a little bit. They are more concerned about living happily ever after with as little friction as possible. Ultimately they want to use all the services and websites we have today and don’t want to pay for them if they don’t have to.

Most people are in the herd, which is why privacy is becoming a very different ideal today than it was a decade ago. It’s perfectly OK to fight for your privacy and insist on it by those you do business with. But know that it’s often the decisions and choices we make, (like checking a little ‘I agree’ box) which is why we are where we are today.

Robert Siciliano personal and home security specialist to Home Security Source discussing identity theft on YouTube.

If You Care About Privacy Don’t Do These 8 Things

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I don’t care as much about privacy like some people do. My concern is personal security. If I was concerned about people knowing “me” stuff then you wouldn’t be reading this because I’d live in a cave in Wyoming with no Internet and I’d blow glass all day. But personal security is something I deeply care about. The following are both privacy issues and a little personal security in there too.

Don’t throw away anything that can be used against you. For privacy and security reasons consider how someone could use something in your trash against you. I never toss anything with a name or account number on it and I’m careful not to toss DNA related stuff either. And I know people are saying that’s crazy. If it can be planted at a crime scene it’s flushed.

 Don’t publish your phone number. Many data aggregators use phone company records to index you. Without a published phone number they have a harder time indexing your name associated with an address. My home phone number is under a pseudonym and it’s also under a business name.

Don’t allow your name to be searchable on Facebook or be on Facebook at all. I broke that rule. When logged into Facebook go HERE to change it.

 Don’t broadcast your location. Location-based services (LBS) are information and entertainment services, accessible with mobile devices through the mobile network and utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of the mobile device. Twitter, Facebook and others are getting in the game with LBS.  Carnegie Mellon University compiled more than 80 location services that don’t have privacy policies or collect and save all data for an indefinite amount of time. I see this more as a personal security issue.

Don’t post videos on Youtube that reveal your personal life. I have a business Youtube page and a personal. The iPhone has a direct connection to Youtube and it’s a blast taking video and quickly uploading. However, my personal page is under another name and all the videos are private. The only way to see them is to login.

Don’t forget to read privacy policies. I don’t like reading privacy policies because they are long winded and confusing. But not knowing what companies may do with your data is not good.

 Don’t use your real name as a username. I broke this rule a few hundred times. It’s a privacy issue when you don’t shield your name. It’s a personal security issues not to grab your name allowing someone else to get it and use it against you. Get all of them at Knowem.com.

Don’t put your name on your mailbox or on a plaque on your home. All the postal carrier needs is a street number. There’s no reason to plaster your last name on your home either. I see this more as a personal security issue. But there are certainly privacy concerns here too.

Robert Siciliano personal security expert to Home Security Source discussing Location Services on The CBS Early Show.