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How to Prevent your Devices From Spying on You

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You might not realize it, but your electronic devices may be tracking you. They know what you are doing, what you are reading, and the things you like to do. In almost every case, you give these devices permission to collect this info when you start using them. Here are some tips to help you prevent your devices from spying on you:

Laptops

Macs

If you are using a macOS computer, you can limit the information you are sending to Apple by choosing the Apple menu > System Preferences > Security & Privacy. Click the “Privacy” tab, and then you will see options about what apps can use and share data. If you click “Analytics,” you can do even more. Also, keep in mind that if you install a new app, you have to do those updates, too.

Windows

If you use Windows, you can limit the info you share by going to “Settings,” and then clicking on “Privacy.” You can enable and disable settings for each app. Again, any new apps that you install must be taken care of separately.

Chromebook

Google collects a ton of data, so Chromebook users should pay attention. Got to My Activity, and then delete what you want. You can also turn off some of the data collecting by clicking “Manage your Google Activity,” and then “Go to Activity Controls.”

Phones

You can do similar things to stop data collecting on your phone, too.

iOS

If you have an iPhone, there is a Privacy setting in the Settings menu. Open it, and then click on “Analytics,” to see what you share with Apple. If you don’t want to share this, simply toggle it all off. You can go back to “Privacy,” and then take a look at what the settings are for every app you have downloaded to your phone.

Android

If you have an Android phone, you can choose Google, then go to “Personal Info & Privacy.” Choose the “Activity Controls” screen, and then pick and choose what you want to share. Again, you have to also go to change settings for each app, too.

Fitness Trackers

Your fitness tracker is also spying on you. Apps like Strava and FitBit can be controlled through the Settings and Privacy options on your phone. You can do more, though:

Strava

Click on “Menu,” if you have Android or “More,” if you have iOS. Choose “Settings,” and then “Privacy Controls.”

FitBit

With FitBit, tap your profile, and then your account name. Tap “Personal Stats,” and then “Settings” followed by “Privacy.”

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity Protection security awareness training program.

The Switch to the Chip Card – One Year Later

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The October anniversary of the liability shift has passed, and anniversaries are an excellent time to look back on progress…this is no exception. The U.S. EMV migration plan was set four years ago as a way to fight card fraud and to protect both consumers and merchants.

the-shift-to-chip-infographic-11-1-2016Back in the day, we had one choice when we wanted to purchase something, and that was cold, hard cash. However, a few decades ago, people began using credit cards for everyday purchases instead of for only big ticket items, such as refrigerators. Though this was certainly convenient, it also opened the door for the bad guys to not only access your credit card information, they could use this information to make purchases and even to learn more about you and steal your identity. Over the past couple of years, once again, we in the U.S. are changing things up when it comes to how we use credit and debit cards. Our new cards, the ‘chip cards,’ as in use in most other places in the world, are making it safer than ever before to make purchases.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these new chip cards and terminals are working to eliminate card fraud, and they are working very well. The way we pay in the U.S. needed a huge overhaul, and this security upgrade was an attempt to make things safer. Data and research confirms that this new technology has had a great impact on reducing card fraud.

Don’t get me wrong. This transformation has not been without a few headaches for merchants and consumers but believe me…things are improving, and they will continue to improve as businesses complete their shift to the chip. How much? Mastercard fraud data indicates that there was a 54 percent decrease associated with counterfeit fraud when comparing data from April 2016 to April 2015.

We Have a Strong Start, But There is Still Work to be Done

When considering everything, the U.S. is off to a solid start, but we still have work to do. When looking at the more than 150 world markets that use chips in cards, we know that more chip transactions must be done before we can see a significant drop in fraud. To do this, we will need about 60 percent of chip terminals interacting with a minimum of 60 percent of chip cards in market. If you have one or have seen chip cards, you likely know that we have gone well beyond that 60 percent mark on cards, but only about 30 percent of store terminals are set up to accept chips.

Another thing that we need to do is continue to speed up the certification process for merchants. The faster we can get chip terminals in stores, the faster we will see these card fraud levels drop.

We also need to increase the speed of which these transactions occur. If you have used a chip terminal, you know that it feels like a slower process than the ‘swipe’ we are used to. The payments industry is hard at work to address this issue, and new technologies are being created to speed up transaction times when using these payment methods. Remember, even though the process feels a bit slower right now, you are significantly safer when using a chip card.

Ultimately, if we can have a little bit of patience with the process and endure these short-term issues, we will all greatly benefit when it comes to payment security. We are already moving in the right direction, and if we keep adding terminals and encouraging the use of chip cards, we will definitely see even more improvement when we compare with next year. Before you know it, most forms of card fraud will be all but gone thanks to the switch to the chip.

Robert Siciliano personal security and identity theft expert and speaker 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.