It’s no secret that conversations surrounding data privacy are becoming more prevalent as the world becomes increasingly connected to the internet. Companies are having to adapt to safeguard the data that they store, and allsynx is no different. We perform a lot of research and testing to ensure that the information you know and trust in THEbenefitsHUB stays secure. This research is why, in honor of Data Privacy day, we thought we would showcase a few tips and tricks to help keep your information safe.

1. Share Cautiously

   A large portion of establishing healthy data privacy is taking control of what is being shared online. Anything posted online can live there forever, so taking the extra precaution of asking yourself if you really want that information circulating is a crucial first step.

2. Surf Safely

   These days it seems like there are complimentary public Wi-Fi options everywhere. We know how tempting they can be. Especially when it’s near the end of a billing cycle and hopping onto a public Wi-Fi connection seems great compared to using the remainder of a data plan. However, these unsecured networks can lead to your device being hacked or your information stolen. As convenient as connecting to these connections may be, you should be wary of what you connect to.

3. Avoid Phishing

   Phishing scams are getting harder to ignore as the scammers are getting more inventive with their methods. This form of social engineering tricks users into revealing identifiable information about themselves which the scammer can then use as they wish. To be safe, any suspicious links or banner ads should be ignored on a page. Additionally, if you receive emails or direct messages that seem too good to be true, they likely are.

4. Vary Passwords

   Every single site that has a log in means one more password to remember. The temptation can be there to reuse passwords between sites to limit the amount of memorization that has to happen. However, this practice can be risky. After all, if someone is able to guess your password for one site then they also have your password information for other sites as well. One way to keep your passwords secure and keep them memorable is to create a password “recipe”. This way when you need a new password, you only need to change a few of the ingredients for the password you need. An example of a password recipe might be:

   Book Title in Caps + Pet’s Initials + Favorite Number + Special Character + Website = GWTWb42!sm

5. Stay Updated

   Those pesky software update notifications are not only important for functionality, but often also contain security updates. When possible, enabling automatic software updates will keep your computer and other devices not only up to date, but secure as well.