7 IT Security Tips For Your PII

What exactly is PII? It refers to information that may be used to identify a person. And, while we’re on the subject of PII (Personal Identifying Information), it’s amazing how much faith individuals have in digital businesses. People frequently submit sensitive information to these firms without a second thought about what they do with it. 

Today’s focus on IT security for businesses will look at data collection methods, what digital firms want with that data, and how millions of individuals become victims every year when they submit their personally identifiable information (PII) to organizations who swiftly lose it.

Any Normal Website Collecting your Information

Let’s say you visit a company’s website and want to learn more about a service. You provide your name, as well as your email address, and phone number, on a form. You have entrusted a business with your personal identifying information when you complete a form, and most of these businesses don’t just use it to contact you about the product or service you were interested in. Why is this a critical concern for your company’s IT security?

The Information can be Precious 

Your personal information is combined with that of countless others and sold to marketing firms for a fee. Because you voluntarily gave the information, the firm to which you provided it regards it as their right. But what if the business goes under? Whoever wants to buy all of the information you’ve given that corporation is now able to do just that.

Who are you going to blame? The bad news is that in most parts of the United States, consumers have very few options if they are in this scenario. They can’t go back in time, after all. This is only one of the numerous reasons why your company should hire IT security experts.

Protect Your Business’s Security

The most important thing to remember regarding data security is that you are valued. Your sexual preferences and favorite cuisine have even more value than your name, location, and phone number. Everyone who wishes to obtain information about you regards it as valuable in the same manner. You, on the other hand, are the one who’ll be impacted by all the data leaks.

While customers are not required to pay for their data, nearly every company that works with PII spends a considerable amount of money acquiring it. Take into account all of the salespeople that persuaded you to buy something. Consider all of the enticements offered to get you to complete the form. Consider the price of software that is connected to the internet.

• Create unique security questions – Many accounts will require you to create a security question that only you can answer. People, however, tend to exploit circumstances that could be anticipated. You must recognize that hackers are quite smart, and outwitting them requires some thought. You and only you will have access to your accounts if you choose a question and answer that cannot be researched.
• Read the Terms of Service for Apps — We know, we know, this is a piece of dreaded advice. You don’t have to understand every word of the Terms of Service agreements you sign, but you should be aware of the app’s or service’s data-collecting policy before agreeing to allow them access to your data.
• Keep an eye out for phishing scams – It’s critical to understand how to recognize when you’re being conned. Phishing scams can be spread through social media, instant messaging, or email. If you receive an email from a company that doesn’t normally send you emails for that purpose, you should double-check the validity before doing anything.
• Monitor your financial activities – There are a variety of programs available today to assist consumers in better managing their finances. Finding one you can trust and who will provide you access to your credit reports is really beneficial.
• Use strong passwords – The best secure passwords are those that are longer than twelve characters and include symbols, numbers, and a combination of upper and lowercase letters.
• If at all possible, avoid using public Wi-Fi. We understand how tempting it is to not utilize all of your data, but signing the user agreement on every publicly available Wi-Fi connection exposes you to a slew of problems.
• When filling out online forms, be cautious – Is the website safe to use? Is their contact information (address, phone) easily available? Are the questions they’re asking pertinent to the service you’re about to sign up for? What is their policy on privacy? Before you submit, take a minute to conduct some research.

If you’d want more information on how to keep your personal identifying information safe call the IT experts at MyTek Technology Solutions at 623-312-2440 now.