Are you finding yourself using more online services every day? Do you find most of the information you need online? Do you use Internet-connected devices such as the Nike+Fuelband health-tracker, the Facebook app on your smartphone or Pandora radio in your car? The more we live our lives online, the more information we leave behind. In this series, we will discuss simple strategies for protecting your online privacy.
First up? Do an inventory of the information that is already out there. How? Do a simple Google search on your name and do subsequent searches for variations of your name. Take a close look at the results. Websites like PeopleFinders.com and MyLife.com cull information from public records and websites such as Twitter and Google. What information did you find – previous addresses and phone numbers? Your current address, age, or names of relatives?
Not to worry! Most sites have an opt-out feature so you can remove the information yourself or make the request. Here are a few from an article over at BGR to get you started:
· Peekyou.com -Opt-Out
· Intelius.com* -
Opt-out (requires an ID) https://www.intelius.com/optout.php
In the next article, we’ll look at a few simple things you can do with passwords to make them strong and yet easy to remember.