Privacy

Most of us use the internet on a regular basis. But how many of us practice “safe computing”? One of the first things you can do to protect your internet privacy is to use a VPN. Also if you are using some kind of virus protection software, you should be. There are many available out there, just check the fine print before you sign up for one. There are allegations that at least one VPN has been caught selling the information.

What safeguards are you using while making purchases online? A simple no cost on that I learned about on the podcast #2747 of The Survival Podcast was a service called Privacy it is located at Privacy.com. This service – free as of this writing – offers the ability to “create” unique debit card numbers that will charge to your bank account. You can create a one time use numbers, single vendor use, and you can set monthly limits on these “cards”. Nothing is fool proof, but I have been very happy with this program.

Passwords. You knew this one was coming. Get and use a password keeper. Keep that back phrase backed up in multiple places you believe to be safe. Have a copy on both your home computer and personal phone. They should be synced.

Most credit and debit cards today use RFID technology. This is super convenient, but the convenient comes at a cost. There are countless stories out there about people’s credit cards being “skimmed” with an RFID reader type device. Here is a video of a hacker showing how easy it is to do. And the video was from 2012. Instead of continuing to put yourself at risk, why not take a simple precaution. Instead consider getting some simple to use RFID shields or an RFID blocking wallet. I use the Ridge Wallet.

The other place we are highly vulnerable is the trash we throw away. It used to be common to use a shredder. So another way you can protect your privacy and your identity is by investing in a paper shredder and shredding anything being thrown out that contains account numbers, names, and even your address. Protect your self.

Also remove yourself from junk mail list. Here is how.

Remember self-defense is ultimately about assessing risk and having a rehearsed plans of actions if so some reason you don’t adequately assess the risk correctly. In this case, I have shown you some of the risks, and some solutions.

Do you have any other ideas? If so, send them to me at info@barnedefense.com