abineinc-blog

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What Do Data Broker Sites Know About Your Health and Wellness?

Your medical records and health data are usually protected. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, there are strict regulations about how your health information should be handled, and who can access it. Despite this, data broker sites and marketers know more than you would think about your medical history, often using targeted marketing that seems too accurate to not have your medical records on hand. From apps to internet searches, online tests to your wearable health device, your information is tracked and used for marketing.

Online Depression Tests Share Your Answers You probably expect your movements across the internet to be tracked by the likes of Google and Facebook, using “cookies” as identifiers. You would assume, however, that health information would be protected against this. Instead, Privacy International found that online depression tests on popular mental health websites were sharing the answers with third parties. Instead of protecting the information, it is used as a commodity to build a better profile of you. Medical data is highly valuable to data broker sites and commands a high price compared to information such as your address. Your mental health, in other words, is for sale to marketers. One way to combat this is information removal from Whitepages, Spokeo, MyLife, and other data broker sites. You can opt-out of data broker sites individually, or use a service such as DeleteMe, which will do the work for you. Wearables Collect and Share Health Data Wearables like an Apple Watch or Fitbit can be great for charting your health information, but these fitness trackers also share health data with their smart device manufacturers. Apple uses your location to sell geographically relevant ads, while Fitbit sells anonymized data. Both allow you to delete data. Apps Have Access to More Than You Realize Apps can cause privacy issues because people underestimate just how much access one app can have to the data on their phone. Legitimate apps often share and sell information entered into them, and if they’re breached, can become an access point to other data on a device. Even without a breach, many of the “personal use” health apps don’t fall under the same sorts of privacy laws as official health information, so they’re perfectly free to sell and share your details. Once your information is sold to a data broker site, it can be bought by anyone, whether they’re marketers or bad actors looking to build a profile about you. You can protect your information by learning how to remove personal information from Google, which makes it much harder to form a profile of you. Opting out of data broker sites means your information is not available to marketers or anyone looking to purchase data on you. DNA Test Results Often Get Sold DNA tests have skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years, and DNA evidence can even be useful in law enforcement. However, there is a dark side: Companies that sell at-home DNA tests are more than willing to sell collected data to third parties, especially pharmaceutical and consumer goods companies. The best way to avoid this is not to use DNA tests or to carefully read privacy policies and ensure you’re using a test from a brand that doesn’t sell personal information to third parties. About DeleteMe Boston-based DeleteMe sets a high bar in the online privacy and information security industries, to date helping with more than 20 million consumer opt-outs. Their expert privacy team uses in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies combined with tested strategies and proprietary technology to remove your personal information from data broker sites. In removing your details from over 40 of the biggest data broker sites, they can help remove personal information from Google. For year-round protection of your personal information, choose a DeleteMe subscription, and keep your personal details private. Learn more about keeping online information private at Joindeleteme.com Original Source: http://bit.ly/33OziQ0

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Think Credit Cards Don’t Mine Personal Information? Think Again

remove personal information from googleCredit cards make buying anything from groceries to electronics easy, whether it’s online or in-person. You might assume that what you purchased, for how much, and where is information known only to you and your bank or credit card lender. Unfortunately, your information gets shared much more widely than that.

Who Gets Your Info? Obviously, your credit card provider gets information about your purchase. This could be a bank, or it could be a retailer such as Target or Amazon. When Washington Post tech writer Geoffrey A. Fowler bought a banana at Target with this Amazon credit card, he found that the information was also shared with marketers, Google, hedge funds, and possibly more. Mobile wallets and financial apps can capture and use your data. If you slide your card through a point-of-sale machine, such as a Square device, they also receive your information. What Are They Doing with Your Info? Why do they want all of this info? What are they doing with it? The answer is both cases is often “marketing.” Sometimes the company itself, such as Amazon or Target, uses the information to create targeted marketing specifically meant for you. They might also sell the data to other marketers or data broker sites. Chase offers the Amazon Visa, and they can share your information with “nonaffiliates to market to you,” according to their privacy statement. This means they can share with third-party companies that are not owned by Chase. This could be data broker sites, such as Whitepages, or it could be marketers. This data may or may not be anonymized, hashed, or aggregated. Banks, meanwhile, can share personally identifiable data about you to companies, and all they have to do is send you a privacy notice and the right to opt-out. Data broker sites are buying and selling your purchasing data. Spending patterns can reveal much about you, and there’s always a chance it could be stolen or bought by bad actors, who could use spending data in combination with other information to assist with identity theft. Information removal from Whitepages, MyLife, Spokeo, and other data broker sites can help protect against this. Much like with the banks, the only way to remove the information is by opting out. How to Opt-Out In most cases, opt-out procedures are listed in privacy policies. They can take time and effort to complete. This isn’t too different from opting out of data broker sites, or how to remove personal information from Google. Some services can help, such as DeleteMe and Blur. With Blur, you can create virtual burner credit cards to mask your actual card’s information, making it much harder to track you, while also disabling tracking cookies on retailer websites. DeleteMe does the hard work of opting out of data broker sites for you, eliminating a significant route for marketers to buy your information. About DeleteMe Boston-based DeleteMe sets a high bar in the online privacy and information security industries, to date helping with more than 20 million consumer opt-outs. Their expert privacy team uses in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies combined with tested strategies and proprietary technology to remove your personal information from data broker sites. In removing your details from over 40 of the biggest data broker sites, they can help remove personal information from Google. For year-round protection of your personal information, choose a DeleteMe subscription, and keep your personal details private. Learn more about keeping online information private at Joindeleteme.com Original Source: http://bit.ly/33iuySn

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Why Would Data Broker Sites and Other Organizations Pay for Your Data?

Data broker sites buy and sell your personal information on a daily basis. But why do these data broker sites and other organizations pay for your data? Well, there are a few primary industries that use this data for profit. Here are some of the reasons they’re paying for and want your personal information.

People Search Sites Buy and Sell Data Directly People search sites such as MyLife, Spokeo, and Whitepages provide personal information they have collected for free or a small fee. This often includes your name, phone number, addresses past and present, email, hobbies, occupation, property records, and more. These data broker sites can be used to research a person and often come up in Google searches. However, because of the extensive information provided, they can also be used for “doxing” (maliciously revealing identifying information publicly) or stalking, and the information could help someone attempt to commit identity theft. This is why many people choose to opt-out, a sometimes difficult method of information removal from Whitepages and other data broker sites, on a site-by-site basis.  Marketers Buy Data to Learn About You and Better Target Ads The most common version of this practice is when marketers use demographic information on services like Google and Facebook to target ads. However, marketers can also buy lists of information in order to better target ads. These lists are often categorized by age, income, education level, interests, ethnicity, number of children, and more. Lists could include names, email addresses, and interests, which are often used to tailor marketing, such as emails with coupons.  Some categories are high-risk, based on what a person has previously searched online. It could tip marketers off that you have a medical condition, or the information could be used to advertise high-interest loans instead of low-interest. This can be unreliable, providing false positives if more than one person uses the same computer, and the marketers may not bother correcting the information.  Some Companies Buy Data for Risk Mitigation Risk mitigation data broker sites assist other companies in identifying and detecting fraud. They are also used, like marketers, to determine whether a person is eligible for a low- or high-risk loan. They might be used to determine if a Social Security number, for instance, is assigned to a deceased person, or is currently used for fraud. Like marketers, problems arise when the information they collect is inaccurate.  Credit Reporting Agencies Are Data Brokers Too Finally, the most famous data broker sites are credit reporting organizations like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They collect information to assign a credit score, used for applying for loans like a mortgage or car loan. It’s possible to check a credit report for incorrect information and request a correction, but until then, inaccurate information can significantly impact your credit score. What Can I Do? Many data broker sites allow you to opt-out of their data collection, at least for a time. If you know how to remove personal information from Google searches, you can help combat the spread of your data. But, opting out of data broker sites is a tedious, time-consuming process and different for each data broker site. A subscription with a service such as DeleteMe sets a team of privacy experts to do the hard work for you, ensuring your information is not being sold to the highest bidder and keeping your personal information private year-round.  About DeleteMe With more than 20 million consumer opt-outs to date, Boston-based DeleteMe sets a high standard in the information security and online privacy industries. Their expert privacy team uses tested strategies, proprietary technology, and an in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies to remove your personal details from data broker sites. They can help remove personal information from Google and from over 40 of the biggest data broker sites. A DeleteMe subscription ensures your personal information stays private year-round.  Learn more about keeping online information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2MWe5gm

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What’s the Difference Between Data Breaches and Data Broker Sites Selling Information?

It may seem that it’s every couple of months that another major company suffers from a data breach, but what is contained in these breaches? In the information age, where data broker sites collect extensive records on people, is the data available anyway? Does knowing how to remove personal information from Google help? Here are the differences between data broker sites and data breaches and what you can do to keep your personal information private.

What Data Is Contained in Breaches vs Data Broker Sites? Data broker sites generally collect public information on you. This includes your name, age, addresses, relationships, phone number, email address, photos, and social media accounts. It can also include the make and model of your car, your hobbies, and your occupation. Anonymous data may be collected too, including health statistics.  A data breach, meanwhile, can be of any data an entity collects from you. A credit card data breach from a major retailer will likely contain your credit card information, in part or whole. Data breaches are varied and could include information from account names and passwords, to Social Security numbers and health records. Each breach is different, and often the data is encrypted.  Who Buys the Data? Anyone can buy information from data broker sites if they have the money, but the target audience is generally marketers looking for targeted ad information. Data breach information is often bought by bad actors looking to attempt fraud or identity theft. They may buy credit card information to attempt to use the card, for example. They may buy multiple sets of data, including information from data brokers, to try to piece together information about a person, and use it for social engineering to compromise more of your accounts.  How Is the Data Obtained?  Data broker sites have a plethora of ways to obtain information. They can pull from social media and public records, such as property or court records. Data broker sites can also collect information from your purchase history, both online and offline, and government records such as driver’s licenses, census data, birth certificates, marriage licenses, voter registration, and more. The companies that suffer data breaches collect your information directly from you. You may have created an account and supplied your credit card info to make a purchase, for example. When a data breach occurs, bad actors can get hold of this private information, including passwords and credit card numbers. What Can You Do to Protect Your Data?  You can opt-out of data broker sites, though the process can be time-consuming if you plan to target multiple sites. Removal from Whitepages, for example, requires filling out an opt-out form and verifying via a phone call. Using a service such as DeleteMe can save you time, as a subscription means they’ll do the work for you.  Data breaches, as they are not all equal, are harder to protect against. It’s wise to check bank, credit, and credit card statements for anything unusual. When a breach is announced, change your passwords. Make sure passwords are different for each account and use strong passwords. Finally, only give out your Social Security number when absolutely necessary.  About DeleteMe With more than 20 million consumer opt-outs to date, Boston-based DeleteMe sets a high standard in the information security and online privacy industries. Their expert privacy team uses tested strategies, proprietary technology, and an in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies to remove your personal details from data broker sites. They can help remove personal information from Google and from over 40 of the biggest data broker sites. A DeleteMe subscription ensures your personal information stays private year-round.  Learn more about keeping online information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2VLCxFe

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Apps and Sites That You Didn’t Know Are Selling Your Data

It might come as a surprise what sites or apps act as data broker sites, collecting and selling your personal information—often without your direct knowledge. Knowing how to remove personal information from Google can help, as can being proactive and not providing more information than necessary.

Credit Bureaus

Credit bureaus, as a matter of course, collect information to provide a credit score. They sell this information in two significant ways: borrower history and pre-approval marketing. The first sees credit bureaus selling your transaction information, with a history of your debt payments. If you missed a car payment one month, it’s in your file. Lenders pay more for these reports, as it helps them decide whether to offer you, for example, a mortgage loan. The credit bureaus include analytics on your payment history, so buyers can see how you interact with your various debts.

The second way that credit bureaus sell your information is in pre-approval lists. They’re the reason that you’re constantly getting junk mail with pre-approved credit card offers. Credit card companies buy your data in order to directly market their credit cards to you, based on what the credit bureaus will approve you for.

Department of Motor Vehicles

DMVs in multiple states have been selling personal information to a range of entities, including credit bureaus and private investigators. Under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, this is perfectly legal. The data can include name and address, and depending on the state, your zip code, date of birth, phone number, and email address. The DMV will deny access to information if the entity in question abuses the information.

Email Applications

It’s common knowledge that search engines collect information on what and how you search. However, if you use email applications, your emails are also scanned for information, particularly for selling to targeted ad campaigns. The information collection does not stop there. A Google search for “When should I pay my bills?” will display results only available to you with the date of your next bill and the current balance. These are pulled from emails from your bank in your Gmail account. While you would typically need to opt out of data broker sites to remove personal information from Google, you can often simply change privacy settings to stop your email service from scanning your emails. With Gmail, you’ll have to go to your Google account page to access these settings.

Map Applications

Plugging in an address or search into a map application can help you find a destination, but the app is also often collecting information on you. Some apps track where you live, what businesses you visit, and how long you stay in a location. Cross-referencing your searches across platforms helps to build a better profile of you, and that data helps advertisers interested in your demographic show ads to you. You can turn off location settings per app on your phone, and most apps offer an option to toggle location reporting.

Keeping Information Private

Keeping your personal information private is challenging in the information age. It’s all too easy for apps and sites to capture data about you and sell your personal details. Fortunately, data broker sites allow for opting out, which can help keep your personal data private. It can be an involved process, taking time and energy, but there are services, such as DeleteMe, that will do it for you. If you are concerned about your personal data, opt out of data broker sites with a DeleteMe subscription and check privacy settings for each app, service, and site you use.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe has set a high standard in the online privacy and information security industries with their efficient, effective internet privacy strategies. Based in Boston, their expert privacy team uses proprietary technology and in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies to remove your personal details from data broker sites. DeleteMe has successfully completed more than 20 million consumer opt-outs to date and can help with data removal from Whitepages and over 30 of the other biggest data broker sites. Ensure your personal information stays private year-round with a DeleteMe subscription.

Learn more about keeping your information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2nVI0MO

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Protecting Your Children’s Online Privacy

Protecting your children’s information online can be a challenge. They may not understand how sensitive data is, freely offering information such as their name, age, or address to strangers without a second thought. Knowing how to remove personal information from Google helps, and there are steps you can take to prevent your child’s information from spreading online.

Opt Out of Data Broker Sites

Your first order of business is opting out of data broker sites to remove any information about your children that is already online. Opting out with individual data broker sites means information removal from Whitepages, MyLife, Spokeo, and more. Data broker sites buy and sell information from names to family members, from addresses to phone numbers. By opting out, they are not allowed to do this, and the information is removed. You can find guides online to do this manually or hire a service like DeleteMe to do the time-consuming work for you.

Federal regulations prohibit the collection of data about minors under the age of 13 without parental consent. That, however, doesn’t necessarily mean websites aren’t doing it, and most states don’t have additional rules governing the data of teenagers. In March 2019, ALC Inc., a New Jersey data broker site, failed to acknowledge it possessed data on minors per Vermont state law when registering with the state. It then tried to sell data on 1.2 million students between the ages of 14 and 17. The information included names, addresses, high schools, hobbies, parents’ names, household income, ethnicity, and more.

Change Privacy Settings on Social Media

If your children are on social media, check their privacy settings. It’s possible they are only sharing posts and profile information with friends, or they could be broadcasting personal information to the entire internet. Strangers could be reading their posts, and data broker sites could be scraping information.

It’s best to limit what information is available, even with secure privacy settings. In 2019, both Facebook and YouTube settled with the FTC over agency probes into privacy violations. Google agreed to pay between $150 and $200 million after YouTube was found collecting personal information from minors, using it for targeted advertisements without parental consent. This violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). COPPA restricts what information can be collected about children under age 13.

Ask Grandparents Not to Post Information About the Family

One potential avenue for your children’s information appearing online is your parents. Grandparents may not understand how online privacy works, posting photos of your children online without changing any privacy settings. You may have a policy about not posting photos or information about your children to social media, but your parents may not know this. It’s also possible they tag themselves in a photo of your children, opening the photo up to a wider audience you did not approve. Educate them about online privacy and ask them to be careful when talking about your children online.

Discuss Privacy with Your Kids

In the end, it’s best to sit down with your children and teach them best practices about putting information online. Let them know to be wary of strangers online and to not provide more information than absolutely needed. Take an interest in what your children are doing online. Without knowing how to remove it, the information they post could remain online forever. Fortunately, one can sign up for a family subscription with DeleteMe to help keep the personal information of parents and children private year-round. A leader in online privacy, DeleteMe has carried out more than 20 million consumer opt-outs and has guides online if you have the desire (and time) to do it yourself.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe has set a high standard in the online privacy and information security industries with their efficient, effective internet privacy strategies. Based in Boston, their expert privacy team uses proprietary technology and in-depth knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies to remove your personal details from data broker sites. DeleteMe has successfully completed more than 20 million consumer opt-outs to date and can help remove personal information from Google by targeting over 30 of the biggest data broker sites. Ensure your personal information stays private year-round with a DeleteMe subscription.

Learn more about keeping online information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2nwypMx

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What Is the Dark Web?

A good portion of the internet is not accessible through search engines like Google or Bing. Some of these are obvious: your webmail client, your social media accounts, your online banking accounts, your bank statements, content hidden behind paywalls, and the like. Others are deindexed by search engines intentionally. And still, others are, by design, not indexed. This is the deep web.

The dark web is a subset of websites where (often) illegal activities take place. If you don’t know how to remove personal information from Google searches, it’s possible that data broker sites have collected and sold your personal details. The buyer might have posted your name, address, and other personally identifiable data on the dark web.

What Is the Dark Web Used for?

The dark web is often hidden behind encryptions and sometimes can only be accessed by particular browsers. Behind this veil of secrecy, drugs, stolen credit card numbers, personal information, and more are bought and sold.

One of the most famous sites on the dark web, Silk Road, caused quite a stir. The founder, Ross Ulbricht, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for running the criminal enterprise, an illegal online drug emporium. Other marketplaces on the dark web have guns for sale and murders for hire. Hackers and hacking groups offer their services via the dark web, as well. Ironically, some of these sites instead infect your computer with trojan horses or backdoors, allowing hackers access to your computer and private data.

Who Uses the Dark Web?

It is worth noting not all sites in the dark web are used for illegal activity, but many are. It can be used to bypass state censorship, conduct reporting in repressive countries, or blow the whistle on companies or crime syndicates. Anyone with a need for a high degree of anonymity might use the dark web to protect themselves.

Browsers such as Tor are needed to access the encrypted sites, which can slow down browsing. It’s also hard to find much of the dark web, as the point is to stay secret. Some sites require credentials to view at all. Some forums, however, exist solely and simply to express opinions that might otherwise be unpopular.

Should I Be Worried?

If your data has been part of a leak, then yes, you might have reason to be worried. Your credit card numbers are potentially being bought and sold on the dark web. These can be combined with information legitimately purchased from data broker sites to gain enough personal details to use the credit card with little hassle. If you have not already, you should remove personal information from Google to thwart data broker sites. Data broker sites can be indiscriminate in who they sell data to, which means your personal information could then end up on the dark web. Luckily, lists of credit card numbers can be outdated. If you are still worried, request a new card to update information, and hire a service to remove your private details from data broker sites.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe’s efficient, effective internet privacy strategies have set a high standard in online privacy and information security. Their Boston-based expert privacy team removes your personal details from data broker sites using proprietary technology as well as their and deep knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies. DeleteMe can help with information removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites—they’ve already successfully completed more than 20 million customer opt-outs to date. A subscription with DeleteMe ensures your personal, private data will stay private year-round.

Learn more about keeping your information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2U5MXyB

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How to Deal with Sudden Internet Fame (or Infamy)

You’ve won the lottery. You’re the subject of a meme. That tweet you made without a second thought went viral, or your YouTube channel suddenly picked up steam. However it happened, you are now faced with sudden fame or infamy, thrust into the spotlight. Fame has many lovely advantages, but it also comes with a lot of unwanted attention.

Soon, the emails and private messages will start. Some will sing your praises, and others will yell at you. If you’re not careful, people might even be able to find your phone number and address. You will need to learn how to remove personal information from Google, but what else should you know about surviving your sudden celebrity status and 15 minutes or more of fame?

Remove Personal Information Online

To protect your private life, you’ll want to remove personal information from Google searches. Otherwise, people may easily find your address, phone number, and more. This is the first step in regaining what still exists of your privacy. Otherwise, expect random calls and people gawking at your home around the clock. If your personal details remain online, data broker sites could collect and sell your information indiscriminately. Consider investing in a service that specializes in removing your private data for you, contacting data broker sites on your behalf.

Learn to Say “No”

Fame tends to bring out “long lost cousins.” People will ask for money. They will want to be seen around you. Some will try to take advantage of you, offering you a chance to invest in their company. Set your personal boundaries and learn to say “no.” You can be polite but be firm. In interviews, you do not have to answer personal questions. Many who are famous prefer to keep their private lives private and refuse to answer those questions.

Form an Inner Circle

You need friends who you can trust, ideally friends that you knew before your rise to fame. These people keep you grounded, act as sounding boards, and can help you get out of the celebrity scene when it becomes overwhelming. Remember, these need to be people you trust not to leak information or share your personal details. Stick to the people you absolutely know you can rely on.

Be Kind to Fans

Despite your best efforts, if you become famous, you will almost certainly be approached by fans. Someone tweets which restaurant you are eating at and a few people will seek you out. It comes with being famous. Be kind and empathetic. You don’t need to be entirely on-brand. They are likely excited to see you and acting aloof can instead hurt your image. This is especially true of young fans who might look up to you. Set boundaries with your personal space and time, but be kind, even when you have to refuse a request.

Comb Through Social Media

It might be best to delete your Facebook account. Barring this, make it private, consider changing your name, and remove any personal details. Go back through past posts and tweets on social media and delete anything that could be considered even marginally offensive. Some services, such as TweetDelete, will allow you to delete old tweets en masse. Old jokes can come back to haunt you, as they did with movie director James Gunn. A decade-old tweet almost cost him a job directing a major Marvel movie. He was reinstated months later, but the damage to his reputation was done.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe’s efficient, effective internet privacy strategies have set a high standard in online privacy and information security. Their Boston-based expert privacy team removes your personal details from data broker sites using proprietary technology as well as their and deep knowledge of opt-out and privacy policies. DeleteMe can help with information removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites—they’ve already successfully completed more than 20 million customer opt-outs to date. A subscription with DeleteMe ensures your personal, private data will stay private year-round.

Learn more about keeping your information private at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2Zi8Sb7

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How to Keep Your Family’s Online Information Safe

The internet is forever. It’s a key point your family should know when trying to keep their information online safe. It can be a hassle to remove personal information from Google. While it’s better not to leak any personal details online in the first place, sometimes it can’t be helped, or is already too late. These tips will help you secure your family’s information and keep yourself and your children safe online.

Remove Information From Data Broker Sites How do advertisers create targeted ads? Buying data from data broker sites is often the answer. Data broker sites collect and sell any personal details they can find on you. Your internet browsing habits, your address, and the name of your family members are among the tidbits they collect. Often, this is picked up by Google. It’s essential to know how to remove personal information from Google, usually done by removing your private information from data broker sites. You can do this yourself, though it is often an involved and frustrating process, or hire a service to do it for you. Use a Private Browser for Safe Browsing Websites often require an agreement to use tracking cookies to view their site. Other sites install them without your knowledge. Either way, they can track your browsing habits, collecting data on what you or your kids are doing online. Using a private browser like Epic or Brave browsers can stop these websites from tracking you. For additional security, a VPN can prevent cookies, conceal your location, and obscure your browsing habits. Don’t Share Personal Information The entire family must know not to overshare online, whether it’s through social media or playing a video game. Never give out full names, addresses, ages, or Social Security numbers. Social media accounts should have limited information, and privacy settings should allow only direct friends to see posts and profiles. Also don’t “check-in” to businesses or places on social media, providing data on your location and interests. The less personal or identifying information on social media, the better. Be Careful with Blogs Blogging has taken on a new form in recent years. Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and a multitude of other social media platforms all provide outlets for posting thoughts and photos. In addition, dedicated blogging sites like Tumblr, WordPress, and Medium are often used to share very personal thoughts and feelings. While this might improve your children’s writing and photography skills, it can also be a goldmine of information. Teach your kids to be careful with blogging, even if they believe their thoughts to be private on a site. Read Privacy Policies Privacy policies are long, dry reads. They detail how a site controls and collects information about you, and if it is sold or given to third parties. These policies also specify what measures the site takes to prevent personal information from leaking. If a site’s policy does not make sense or you can’t understand it, do not use the site. It might be worth considering adding parental controls to block children from using the site as well. About DeleteMe DeleteMe leads the industry in data privacy and online security. Boston-based DeleteMe’s expert privacy team uses proprietary technology and innovation to remove your personal information from data broker sites that sell it. So far, they have achieved more than 20 million successful customer opt-outs. DeleteMe has earned a reputation for its efficient and effective internet security strategies, providing cutting-edge tools for securing data privacy and consumer security. They will help with information removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites, as well as search engines like Google. Keep your personal information private with DeleteMe at Joindeleteme.com Original Source: http://bit.ly/2GFp7nV

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How to Minimize Your Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint is all of the information about you found online. This footprint includes your name, address, social media posts, content you have shared, IP address, and even your browsing history and personal details like your mother’s maiden name. This information can be posted by you or about you. Although your digital footprint can be useful when job hunting, proving you are a real person with real experience there are definite risks to such an easily found wealth of information about you online.

If you are trying to go off the grid, regain a bit of online anonymity, or help prevent identity theft, it’s a good idea to minimize your digital footprint. Knowing how to remove personal information from Google is only the first step. Delete or Deactivate Accounts Deleting your Facebook and Twitter accounts is an obvious first step, but be sure to delete accounts on shopping sites like Amazon, Target, or Old Navy as well. Don’t forget old social media sites like Tumblr and Myspace. Remove Information From Data Broker Sites To remove personal information from Google, you need to know the source of that information. These are often data broker sites like Whitepages and Spokeo that collect and sell your personal information. This private data includes everything an advertiser or identity thief might want, from your name and address to your online activities. You can deal with them yourself one by one, but you’ll have to brush up on your knowledge of privacy policies and laws. Since their business relies on that data, they won’t make it easy to remove. Alternatively, you could pay a service to do it for you, which will save you time and ensure your private details stay that way. Increase Privacy on Accounts If you can’t live without social media, at least lock down the privacy of your accounts. Change your privacy settings so only your friends can see your content and be careful what you post. It’s not a bad idea to remove your phone number and obscure your location and age. Use a VPN The most secure option for browsing the internet is a Virtual Private Network or VPN. These paid services will bounce your browsing requests through a private network of different locations, obfuscating your location and IP address. Cookies won’t be collected, either. Think of it as a tunnel to the website you are visiting, shielding your private information. This is opposed to riding down the information superhighway with your personal data in the open. The Tor browser serves similar functions, offering you internet browsing anonymity. Use a Private Browser Using a private browser like Epic or Brave won’t track your internet habits, increasing your privacy and security. They will not track your search history and cookies will not be collected. Delete Old Email Accounts Your last step should be deleting old email accounts. Do this after taking all the other steps as some require an email. It’s not wise to keep any old email accounts unless you need to keep one for work purposes. In that case, remove as much identifying information as possible and unsubscribe from mailing lists. You can also get a disposable email address to use instead of your main account. A fake account you can utilize when an email is required can keep your real inbox clean and safe from advertiser profiling. About DeleteMe DeleteMe leads the industry in data privacy and online security. Boston-based DeleteMe’s expert privacy team uses proprietary technology and innovation to remove your personal information from data broker sites that sell it. So far, they have achieved more than 20 million successful customer opt-outs. DeleteMe has earned a reputation for its efficient and effective internet security strategies, providing cutting-edge tools for securing data privacy and consumer security. They will help with information removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites, as well as search engines like Google. Keep your personal information private with DeleteMe at Joindeleteme.com Original Source: https://bit.ly/32Y1qRu

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How to Avoid Internet Scams That Take Advantage of Decent People

It’s no secret that there’s a vast, ambitious, creative, and cunning collection of cybercriminals, hackers, thieves, and scammers who seem to haunt those on the internet. Many are looking for weaknesses to exploit and opportunities to steal peoples’ information and money. Thankfully, there are many steps people can take to avoid cybercriminals and protect themselves against scams. One step is to keep your information secure and private, including learning how to remove personal information from Google searches.

Unfortunately, there’s an insidious collection of scams and cons that prey on otherwise shrewd and cautious internet users in the most devious and cynical way—by appealing to their decency. The following describes a few of these scams and how to avoid falling victim to a costly scam for trying to do the right thing.

Sick Baby, Sick Pet, and Troubled Vet Hoaxes

The “sick baby” and “sick pet” hoaxes are far older than the internet but first spread online via email. Nowadays they often target social media platforms and crowdfunding sites. The premise is simple: you are contacted, typically by a friend, about a sick child or sick pet that needs a donation for a desperately-needed medical treatment. The message is almost always accompanied by a moving photo of the sick youngster or pet. While these messages may be sent by a friend’s hacked account, they can also be sent by friends who’ve been fooled by the scam. The name of the child or pet is sometimes real—the information and photos have often been stolen from the parent or pet owner originally posting it. (All the more reason to remove personal information from Google searches.)

The “troubled vet” scams work in a similar way. A tragic story about a homeless or otherwise troubled veteran is shared and donations are requested for their care, treatment, and recovery. Unfortunately, the money donated goes directly into the pocket of the scammer. They can be less obvious, however. For instance, a scammer can simply be requesting a “like” or share, or claiming that for every like, share, comment, or reposting, the social media platform will donate money. But that’s virtually never the case and those likes, shares, and comments aren’t harmless. When it’s a hoax, those actions are driving traffic and often personal information directly to scammers.

Password Security Question Phishing

Have you ever seen those posts on social media that start with something like “what’s your superhero name?” Superhero could be substituted for anything—celebrity, adventurer, mafia, royal wedding name, and so on. Often you’ll be given a list of information to use to create your name, like the street you grew up on, the name of one of your grandparents, or the name of your pet. Sound familiar? That’s because these are common password security and recovery questions. A cybercriminal can use that information to reset a password and effectively lock you out of an account while gaining access to it themselves. Some of these posts can be harmless if they’re just asking for details such as the item to your left and the color of your shirt. But watch out for the ones that aren’t harmless.

How to Avoid Being Scammed

One of the easiest ways to avoid being taken in by one of these scams is to do a little research. Contact the friend requesting the click or donation and ask them if they actually sent it. If your friend has been taken in by a scam, a Google search is often sufficient to debunk it. Search for the name of the child, pet, or vet (or whatever cause is being solicited) by itself or with the word “scam” after it. Thankfully, these scams are often identified quickly, and a search can help reveal the truth.

Additionally, you should never provide personal information in response to emails or social media solicitations. Never providing personal information in response to any unsolicited messages is a solid rule of thumb to follow on the internet (and offline too). If someone shares one of these hoaxes to your profile, definitely don’t share it, and if your friend actually sent it, immediately let them know of its illegitimacy and potential for harm.

To avoid having your profile hacked—and becoming an unwitting accomplice to these sorts of schemes—be sure to deactivate any old, unused profiles or email addresses to reduce your risk. You should also contract with a company that removes your personal information from data broker sites and Google search results. Getting as much of your private, personal information off of the internet as possible will help keep it that way, and out of the hands of those with ill-intent.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe is a standard-setting innovator within the data privacy and online security industry. Headquartered in Boston, DeleteMe’s reputation for efficient, effective internet security strategies has been established by their expert privacy team’s proprietary technology and cutting-edge innovation. Since their founding, DeleteMe has accomplished over 10 million successful consumer opt-outs. To ensure superior data security and privacy through personal information removal from Whitepages and 30-plus other data broker sites, choose DeleteMe. A DeleteMe subscription will make sure your personal information stays private year-round.

Learn about everything DeleteMe can do for your privacy and security, at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2YdpFbu

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The Frightening and Lingering Consequences of Identity Theft (and How to Avoid Them)

Identity theft can have broad and far-reaching implications on your personal, financial, and professional life—immediate ramifications and longer-term consequences. It’s an incredibly distressing, disruptive, invasive, and often destructive event that no one should have to deal with. For those unfamiliar with the nightmare of identity theft, the following describes some of the ways in which it can continue to disrupt and even sabotage a victim’s life well after the event itself. The good news is that there are tools and strategies you can use to increase your privacy and remove personal information from Google that could otherwise be used by identity thieves.

The Money Lost and Credit Consequences

No doubt the most common, well-known, and immediately detrimental consequence of having your identity stolen is the financial cost. Identity thieves have a number of underhanded strategies they use to steal from you, including:

● Accessing and emptying checking and savings accounts.

● Opening accounts to move money to and overdraft.

● Running up charges on credit cards and making online purchases in your name.

● Stealing from retirement savings.

● Taking out loans in your name.

● Manipulating and stealing from investment accounts.

Identity theft and these actions can threaten all of your assets, directly and indirectly. In addition to the immediate financial costs, many of these events can negatively impact your credit score, affecting your ability to access loans and credit. Removing these events from your credit score can be very difficult and paying professionals to clean up the mess can prove an additional expense.

The Time Lost to Fixing Identity Theft

Your time can be at least as valuable as your financial assets. Undoing the damage done by an identity thief can mean dozens of hours of work, hassle, and frustration. It often involves working with your bank and other financial institutions, credit card companies, the IRS, and the Social Security Administration if your social security number was compromised. You may need professional legal and financial or tax assistance as well. You should be able to spend your free time doing other things—not dealing with identity theft.

Emotional Consequences and Reputation Damage

Learning how to remove personal information from Google searches can save you a whole lot of grief if you’re able to do so and avoid having identity thieves use this information to steal your identity in the first place. But if you can’t prevent it and the damage has been done, there’s another cost in addition to financial and time: emotional cost. As bad as the anger and frustration can be, the feeling of personal violation might be worse. It’s a deeply harrowing feeling and can be made worse if an identity theft impersonated you for the purposes of defrauding friends, family, or coworkers. Embarrassment and injury to your reputation are a real possibility with long-term ramifications, which can threaten your relationships, employment status, and credit.

Avoiding Identity Theft

Unfortunately, identity thieves tend to be tech-savvy and haunt the dark web, making identification extremely difficult. They’re extremely good at being anonymous, so it’s important to take precautions to protect your privacy. A lot of those involve basic security and common-sense use of the internet. Be extremely careful when using social media. Keep your settings as private as possible on social media platforms, do not post personal information, and erase any social media profiles you’re not using (so they can’t be used against you).

Using password security best practices is always crucial. For example, never base your passwords on personal information such as names of pets or family members or dates with personal relevance. The more random a password is, and the longer it is, in general, the harder it is to crack. The idea is that you want to make sure an identity thief can’t guess your password based on information about you, because using tools to aggregate information about you and guess a series of likely password combinations is a lot easier than having to “brute force” their way through a randomized password. Should they choose a brute force strategy, then length and randomness are your allies there too.

Unfortunately, information about you online isn’t limited to what you post on social media. Much of the information that identity thieves exploit can be found in the databases of data broker sites. Fortunately, contracting with a company that contacts data broker sites and requests an information opt-out on your behalf can make you considerably less at risk of identity theft by removing the information that thieves use to try and steal your identity in the first place.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe is a standard-setting innovator within the data privacy and online security industry. Headquartered in Boston, DeleteMe’s reputation for efficient, effective internet security strategies has been established by their expert privacy team’s proprietary technology and cutting-edge innovation. Since their founding, DeleteMe has accomplished over 10 million successful consumer opt-outs. To ensure superior data security and privacy through personal information removal from Whitepages and 30-plus other data broker sites, choose DeleteMe. A DeleteMe subscription will make sure your personal information stays private year-round.

Learn about everything DeleteMe can do for your privacy and security, at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2KDy5Wg

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How to Deal with Online Shaming and Harassment

Have you spent any time at all on social media sites, in chat rooms, comment threads, discussion sites, or anywhere else that people congregate online? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve been subjected to some degree of online harassment, shaming, or cyberbullying. 

Thankfully, there are steps you can take to, at the very least, minimize the amount of shaming or cyberbullying you have to deal with on the internet. That can range from modifying online web-surfing habits to taking proactive steps like learning how to remove personal information from Google searches.

Don’t Feed the Trolls

It’s an internet cliché but one of the more accurate, insightful, and important ones: Don’t feed the trolls. If you encounter a bully online who takes a specific interest in you, the worst thing you can do is engage, however tempting it may be or frustrating the bully is. Keep in mind that trolls are, virtually inevitably, angry and insecure people who glean satisfaction from the emotional responses of their targets. The angrier and more upset you get; the more satisfaction they get. If it helps, keep in mind that as tempted as you may be to insult them back, disengaging is going to frustrate them a whole lot more.

Remove Personal Information from Data Broker Sites

In addition to ignoring the trolls, opting out of having your information on data broker sites is an important step. Doing so means you will remove personal information from Google searches, should a troll try to find you. In case you’re unfamiliar with them, data brokers collect, store, and sell your private and (often very) personal information. But you can opt out of data broker sites. One of the best ways to do so is by contracting with a reputable service that has an impressive track record of successful consumer opt-outs. It’s also important to increase the security settings on your social media accounts, block bullies, and to erase old and unused social media profiles.

Keep Records

When someone begins an active campaign of cyberbullying or online shaming, it’s crucial to keep records. Take screenshots or otherwise record every message, image, or file they send to you, and record the date. Keeping records is particularly critical if the messages start turning into actual threats. The sort of person who is going to commit that fully to cyberbullying someone else is going to do whatever they can to pretend it never happened or otherwise blur the details if it comes to needing to confront them with that harassment.

Contact Site Operators and Authorities

If the harassment or shaming doesn’t let up, begins interfering with your life, or comes to include threats to the safety of you and your family, something more proactive may have to be done. Contact the site operators and administrators of whatever social media site or other internet site or forum the harassment is taking place on and report it. If they are posting humiliating, threatening, defamatory, or otherwise harmful material about you, request that the site removes it. Keep calm but be persistent. Send emails, call, whatever you have to do. And if actual threats of violence become an issue, alert local law enforcement and report it. Be sure to have your records of the harassment ready. You should also consider contacting the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), an FBI-linked organization that deals with internet harassment and threats.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe is an industry standard-setter for the optimization of data privacy and security online. From their headquarters in Boston, DeleteMe has created a reputation for effective technology security strategies by leveraging their team of privacy experts and their cutting-edge privacy innovations. So far, that team and their privacy strategies have resulted in more than 10 million successful consumer opt-outs. Choose DeleteMe to establish your privacy and data security by ensuring prompt removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites. A DeleteMe subscription will keep your personal information as private as it should be, year-round.

To learn more about DeleteMe, visit Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2WzLDYr

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Cyberstalking: How to Avoid Being Stalked Online

Stalking is one of the most distressing, frustrating, frightening, insidious, and potentially dangerous crimes there is. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the Age of Information is that the internet has made stalking far easier and often less risky for the stalker. People now have access to far more personal information, and far more convenient access to it, than they ever have in the past. And a lot of that information is willingly provided by all of us. The key to avoiding, and halting, cyberstalking is the removal of private information from the internet. Whether that is from social media sites, date broker sites, or you set off to remove personal information from Google, erasing your private data that has been public and locking it down is the best weapon against cyberstalking. Social Media Lockdown Social media provides would-be stalkers with a wealth of personal information. A stranger could have immediate access to your name, birthday, relationship status, where you live, if you live alone, where you work, your likes and dislikes, and even your daily patterns. The key is to simply lock down or delete everything you can. Consider using a picture that is not of you or your home. Use a nickname or a shortened version of your name rather that your full name. Disable geotagging, and always keep your privacy settings set at maximum. If you have old social media profiles you’re not using anymore, delete them. Get Removed from Data Broker Sites Data brokers are an integral part of the multibillion-dollar information-gathering industry. They find, store, collate, aggregate, buy, and sell the (sometimes very) private information of everyone they can. And they are not picky about who they sell it to. There are a few options for opting out of data broker sites. You can look into how to remove personal information from Google by personally opting out of data broker sites. There are a lot of data brokers, however, and opting out yourself can be very time-consuming. The other option is to find a reputable company that does opt-outs and contract with them for removal, which will save time and ensure your information actually gets removed. Social Media Caution When your social media profile or accounts are locked down, be careful when using social media. Treat it as you’d treat life. So, just like in real life, don’t say you’re friends with people you don’t know and don’t engage with people who make you uncomfortable. It’s also a good idea to avoid engaging with angry people or get involved in arguments online about controversial issues. If someone engages you and makes you uncomfortable, be clear about not wanting them to contact you again. If they persist, record everything they send you, but do not engage them again. Block anyone who behaves in a way that makes you uncomfortable. Keep Your Personal Device Security Up-to-Date Your personal computer and other electronic devices such as your smart phone or tablet are an even richer source of information about you than social media sites. That often includes direct access to your financial information. Keeping strangers out of your computer and other personal devices should be a top priority. Practicing good password practices is always a great idea. Be sure to keep your security and antivirus software active and up-to-date as well. These tools can block spyware and other malware and viruses that malicious people can use both to stalk you and access your finances and personal information. About DeleteMe DeleteMe is an industry standard-setter for the optimization of data privacy and security online. From their headquarters in Boston, DeleteMe has created a reputation for effective technology security strategies by leveraging their team of privacy experts and their cutting-edge privacy innovations. So far, that team and their privacy strategies have resulted in more than 10 million successful consumer opt-outs. Choose DeleteMe to establish your privacy and data security by ensuring prompt removal from Whitepages and over 30 other data broker sites. A DeleteMe subscription will keep your personal information as private as it should be, year-round. To learn more about DeleteMe, visit Joindeleteme.com Original Source: http://bit.ly/2WuFjl4

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The Most Useful Web Services to Optimize Your Privacy Online

There’s something to be said for fighting fire with fire, especially when you don’t have any other choice. In this case, the fire being fought is the compromising of your personal information on the internet. Of course, there’s a (sort of) surefire way to ensure that your private information isn’t tracked, collected, bought, sold, and otherwise aggregated and traded online: Not going on the internet. Of course, that’s not feasible for most people. That’s where fire to fight fire becomes necessary: Using web services and information on the internet against the internet sites that are collecting and trading your private information. These strategies range from passive protection to learning how to remove personal information from Google to going in and opting out of the data broker sites. Here are some of the best web services to ensure that your (often very) private information remains private. Have I Been Pwned? Email is one of the primary ways in which personal information can be compromised online. There is the risk of malware, spyware, adware, worms, Trojan horses, phishing, spear phishing, and number of other viruses and cyber threats. It’s just one of the reasons that taking security and privacy precautions online is so important. It also raises the question: How do I know if my email address has already been compromised? One way to answer this question is to utilize the web service Have I Been Pwned (HIBP). Just plug your email address into their site to find out whether or not your email is among those that have been compromised by big hacking incidents. Disposable Email Finding out whether or not your email has been hacked is obviously an incredibly helpful service to have access to. More important though is to guarantee that your email is not hacked in the first place. One of the best possible ways to do this is to contract with a reputable privacy-protection and security-providing organization to “mask” your email address. Blur does exactly that and provides a variety of masking and privacy measures, including masking credit and debit card numbers. Blur creates unlimited Masked Email addresses for you. With a Blur Masked Email address, whenever you have to provide your email to a third-party website, the address you give will not lead directly back to your personal inbox. So anyone hoping to use personal information from your email, or bombard you with anything spammy or scammy, will be dealing with a temporary proxy inbox. And if anything in it looks fishy, you can simply turn it off. DeleteMe DeleteMe is a privacy and security-protection service that allows you to remove personal information from Google as well as data broker sites. It does this by contacting data broker sites and insisting that they delete your personal information. Data brokers specialize in the buying and selling of personal information, largely to financial interests hoping to use your data for marketing and advertising. As obnoxious as it is to be bombarded with “legitimate” spam ads and offers and everything else that accompanies financial interests getting your info, that’s not necessarily the biggest risk. Unfortunately, data brokers are not real discerning about who they sell your information to. As well, your information being out on the internet also puts you at greater risk of identity theft, hacking, scams, theft, and the like. About DeleteMe DeleteMe has set the industry standard for optimizing the security and data privacy of anyone online. From their home base in Boston, DeleteMe has established a reputation within the privacy and security industry by combining the expertise of their privacy experts with the most effective security technology and strategies, with which they have provided more than 10 million consumer opt-outs successfully. Let DeleteMe secure the privacy of your data. They will ensure that your private information removal from Whitepages and the other data broker sites keeps your personal details as safe as possible. Ensure that your personal information remains private with DeleteMe, at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2Uxyquf

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What Doxxing Is and How to Avoid It

It’s hard to describe to members of the pre-internet generation how different life was before the World Wide Web changed everything. The ease of use and ubiquity of search engines alone represents an indescribable paradigm shift from a time when information on virtually anything you wanted to know about was at your fingertips.

Unfortunately, as is so often the case, the brave, relatively new world of information access has a downside. One of the biggest drawbacks of the information age is that it tends not to be picky about the information that’s shared, including information about you. And once shared, it’s hard to remove personal information from Google that’s aggregated by data brokers and tracked by search engines. Which brings us to the hateful world of “doxxing.”

What Is Doxxing?

There’s a common warning given to those interacting with strangers on the internet on social media, chat sites, dating sites, and the like: “Be careful, they could be anyone!” That superficial online obscurity can give people the idea that the internet is a place where privacy and anonymity exists. That belief is inaccurate, if not dangerous, and can be cruelly shattered by doxxing. Doxxing is the practice of sharing someone’s personal information—phone number, physical address, information about family members, photographs, very personal details, and the like—in a very public place.

Does Anyone Deserve It?

That may seem like an odd question to ask. It is one that is legitimately being asked, however, in response to the seeming rise in white supremacist and white nationalist activity. After the infamous “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, VA, an online movement began to identify and “dox” the participants. The attention resulted in several of the attendees being fired from their jobs after identification. However, an assistant professor from Arkansas, Kyle P. Quinn, was falsely identified as a participant and became the victim of widespread harassment. It’s generally agreed that the risk of false identification alone is sufficient to preclude the use of “acceptable” doxxing.

Doxxing and Swatting

One of the most dangerous peripheral risks of doxxing is the threat of “swatting.” Swatting is the practice of calling the police on someone to “prank” or punish them. It usually involves a malicious internet user or hacker acquiring the address of their target and calling the police to report something like a bomb threat at the address. The unsuspecting victim is then subject to a police SWAT team raiding their home. A swatting incident in December 2017 in which a false claim of violence and hostage-taking led to the fatal shooting of Andrew Finch in Wichita, KS.

How to Prevent It

There are a number of ways to prevent doxxing, many of them defensive. Everyone should have all of their social media profiles as private as possible, erase social media profiles and email addresses that are no longer used, and share as little personal information as possible online, particularly on social media. Additionally, they should seek out a service, like DeleteMe, for instance, that can show them how to remove personal information from Google. DeleteMe can also be contracted to contact the data brokers to insist your personal information be deleted. A DeleteMe subscription can remove personal information from over 30 data broker sites and keep it private year-round.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe has set the industry standard for optimizing the security and data privacy of anyone online. From their home base in Boston, DeleteMe has established a reputation within the privacy and security industry by combining the expertise of their privacy experts with the most effective security technology and strategies, with which they have provided more than 10 million consumer opt-outs successfully. Let DeleteMe secure the privacy of your data. They will ensure that your private information removal from Whitepages and the other data broker sites keeps your personal details as safe as possible.

Ensure that your personal information remains private with DeleteMe, at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2Zqbxg8

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Common Types of Cyberattacks and How to Avoid Them

Cybercrime is proving an increasingly costly drain on the global economy. Research indicates that cyber attacks could cost companies globally about $5.2 trillion over the next five years—that’s more than a trillion dollars a year. Unfortunately, when there’s that much money at stake, there’s going to be a criminal population that’s both enthusiastic and innovative about fighting for a piece of those funds. The result of that criminal innovation is a whole selection of strategies for fleecing the unsuspecting of their money or information that can parlayed into money, just a few of which are featured here. Thankfully, there are strategies, like learning how to remove personal information from Google, that anyone can leverage to protect themselves against cyber predators.

Password Attacks

Password attacks are one of the oldest and least sophisticated, but still often effective, form of hacking and cyber-theft. The attacks are often perpetrated in two ways: targeted and brute force. Targeted attacks require the hacker to have discovered a password by social engineering, using someone’s personal information as potential passwords, or eavesdropping on information sharing between servers online to discover a password. Brute force attacks involve bombarding the password entry with thousands or millions of common passwords and even random words (those are also called “dictionary attacks”).

Prevention

It’s become something of a cliché, but it remains good advice: Have long passwords that are combinations of different cases, letters, numbers, and special characters. Entirely random strings are best. Never use personal information, children’s names, birthdays, hobbies, and so on as passwords. And don’t leave passwords written anywhere someone could see them.

Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are also referred to as eavesdropping attacks. They involve a hacker gleaning information by “eavesdropping” on the sharing of information between servers. Once the MitM hacker gets access to that two-party information traffic, it’s easy to steal any of the information being shared, including (but not limited to) credit card numbers and bank information. MitM attacks are most often launched from unsecured Wi-Fi networks, particularly public ones, and by taking advantage of a device that’s been breached by a malware insertion.

Prevention

Preventing MitM attacks also requires some basic internet safety. Don’t use public, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, particularly in places such as coffee shops and fast food restaurants. (These are very popular haunts for cybercriminals.) Only do business on secure “HTTPS” sites. And always be sure your anti-virus and anti-malware security programs are up-to-date.

Phishing and Spear Phishing

Phishing and spear phishing are both popular with scammers because they’re cheap, relatively low risk, and often effective. They involve cyber criminals sending emails with an urgent call-to-action: A payment has been declined, a bank account has been compromised, you’ve been dropped from a service, and so forth. The link included to help resolve the issue introduces malware onto your computer, generally giving hackers access to it. Spear phishing is a less scattershot mailing list approach and involves the use of specific, researched information about someone and their organization to make the attacks more targeted and realistic.

Prevention

Practicing general email security strategies can certainly be helpful, as is removing or limiting your personal information that hackers could have access to online. Think twice about the personal information you offer online and share on social media and consider hiring a firm to remove personal information from Google as well as data broker sites. Perhaps most importantly: Don’t click links in emails unless you’re 100% certain the email is valid and genuinely came from the sender. If an unexpected email comes in from your bank, for instance, call your bank and confirm before you click.

About DeleteMe

DeleteMe sets the standard in the industry for ensuring the privacy of your data and optimizing your online security. Based in Boston, DeleteMe has built this reputation by leveraging the expertise of their specialists and by providing over 10 million successful consumer opt-outs. DeleteMe has unmatched experience in and cutting-edge tools for securing data privacy and providing consumer security. They can assist with information removal from Whitepages and other data broker sites as well as search engines like Google.

Keep all of your personal information as private as it should be, at Joindeleteme.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2V7N7VY