Privacy Matters Most
As you begin a new school year, take a moment to review these guidelines for protecting your own and others privacy.
Your digital footprint is always growing. Anything you share - pictures, posts, shorts, videos, reactions, replies - aall contribute to the digital, public and social version of you. Family, friends and employers can and do access that material. Once information is on the Internet, it may not be possible to remove it.
Share wisely. Keep your personal details like street addresses, user accounts and phone numbers private, and respect the privacy of others too. Never assume it is ok to share other people's private information too.
Beware of scams and unsecure sites! 'Free' online services, apps and services may cost your privacy. Always check for secure site symbols (HTTPS padlocks) before trusting websites at all you visit.
You don't really know them. Online friends may not be who they seem at all. Chatbots and articifical intelligence is very advanced at taking on personalities and personas. Never agree to meet someone in person that you've only interacted with online.
Use powerful passphrases. Choose a unique series of words that only makes sense to you, change them often, and avoid easily guessable data. Use multi-factor authentication to fortify your account security, and consider using biometric sign-ins like Windows Hello for even better protection.
Log out and lock. Remember to log out, especially when using shared computers, to prevent others from accessing your accounts and impersonating you.