How to Take Charge of Your Digital Privacy: A Roundup of Resources

Taking charge of digital privacy and security has never been more imperative than it is right now. Fortunately, there are several precautions and proactive measures individuals can take. Here is a roundup of resources and tips to better protect your identity and privacy against the digital threats of today.

It has been one year since the coronavirus was broadly reported on. Fast forward to today and you can see the dramatic shift in consumer and business behaviors. With the biggest public health crisis in a century, Americans have changed their behaviors to meet the threat head-on by implementing good safety precautions to minimize the spread: social distancing, frequent handwashing, masking up, sanitizing surfaces.

Tom Kelly, president and CEO of IDX, compares the threat of cybercrime to the coronavirus crisis: another viral danger that you can’t see but certainly must combat. In his piece, COVID-19 Has Emboldened Cybercriminals: Good Digital Hygiene Is Now a Must, Kelly contends that identity fraud, cybercrime, and data theft are part of our “new normal.” Practicing good digital hygiene is now essential to keeping individuals — and their companies — safe from the spread of cyberattacks.

“Like an invisible virus, cybercrime flourishes and spreads rapidly amid chaos, uncertainty, and ignorance about its risks,” states Kelly. Talk about flourishing: McAfee found an average of 419 cyber threats per minute in 2020 in its latest McAfee Labs Threats Report.

“Cybercrime, like the coronavirus, can be fought with simple strategies to reduce your exposure. By putting privacy protections in place and keeping your digital footprint clean, you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim of this year’s wave of cybercrime,” urges Kelly.

Good News: It’s Never Too Late to Protect Yourself

Taking charge of digital privacy and security has never been more important — and easier with IDX’s comprehensive privacy product to protect your digital privacy from being violated. There are several precautions and proactive measures individuals can take.

Here is a roundup of resources and tips to better protect your identity and data privacy against cyber threats and minimize security risks:

• What is Digital Privacy — and How Can It Be Protected?: What is a digital footprint and how can it be used to identify individuals—comprehensive steps on how to protect digital privacy.

• Consumer Privacy Protection Tips: Key findings from a recent consumer privacy survey.

• Security Hygiene: Tips for WFH During the COVID-19 Crisis: Cyber scams to watch out for, and best practices to protect yourself, your family, and your employees.

• Health Agencies are Gathering Consumer Data: A detailed outline of how increased data collection practices pose significant risks for consumers’ privacy.

• Research: Online and Data Privacy Threats Due to COVID-19: The latest research about online and data privacy threats.

• 3 Tips to Protect Your Privacy in a Post-Pandemic World: cyber risks, working from home tips, and what individuals can do to impact privacy legislation.

“An informed public generally makes better decisions than an uninformed public,” noted Kelly in a recent interview. Just as we are better informed one year after we first heard about COVID-19, we can also be better informed about cyber threats — and take proactive action to protect ourselves. Here’s to an all-around safer world!