What are you doing to keep your personal information from being stolen? Hopefully, you are following at least some of our tips to keep your identity safe on social media. You don’t click on hyperlinks in emails and you’ve created some really good passwords.
The trouble is, in this day and age, it isn’t going to be enough.
Our personal information is everywhere
It was a lot easier to keep our information safe when we could only spend the cash in our pockets and there was only one social media website to keep track of. Today, things are very different.
More of our information is online than ever before. For example:
- Digital wallets allow us to use our cell phones to make payments at the store
- More people than ever are buying stuff online
- Medical offices have created online portals for patients
- You can go completely paperless and pay all of your bills online
- Social media sites abound
Even the least technology savvy people have their information all over the internet as more and more businesses are going paperless and keeping their records online. Everyone from your plumber to your lawyer likely has information about you stored in the cloud or in a digital file somewhere.
Acceptance is the first step
There is a very quiet, slow-moving rumble in the world of identity theft. It’s slowly changing its focus from prevention to detection and resolution as more and more people are accepting the fact that everyone’s personal information will likely be stolen at some point in their lives. After all, 16.7 million people experienced identity fraud in 2017, which is a 12 percent increase from 2016. It only stands to reason that the number will continue to increase every year. If you’re a betting person, here are the odds: 1-out-of-15 last year and 1-out-of-20 the year before that. So, the trend is getting worse. If you’re between the ages of 20 and 29, you have the highest odds of becoming identity theft victims at a 1-in-5 chance.
From Facebook’s data breach to Target’s infamous data breach, and let’s not forget that Equifax breach, identity theft is becoming a part of our lives, and society has made it clear it’s a necessary evil.
After all, technology has made life easier than it has ever been before, and it’s only going to make life easier and easier as the decades unfold. Siri and Alexa can provide us with important reminders, we can see who’s knocking at the door with wireless surveillance cameras, and vacuum cleaners will vacuum our home while we’re at work.
In order for technology to continue enhancing our lives, we have to accept a certain level of risk. Siri could be listening in on our conversations, our surveillance cameras could be hacked by burglars, and your Roomba could be spying on you.
Don’t misunderstand. Just because you accept that it’s an eventuality doesn’t mean you should stop trying to prevent it from happening, but it does mean you should get more serious about what you need to do if you discover it has happened.
Consider identity theft protection
It was just a few short years ago that identity theft protection seemed like one of those frivolous things the rich were willing to pay for. Today, it is becoming a must for people of all ages. Some companies recognize this and have even made it part of their employee benefits.
Plans are extremely affordable, and they can provide you with peace of mind. Head over to our best of list to discover which protection services are worth the money. With today’s hyperconnected world, it’s only a matter of time before you’ll put your investment to good use.
