Data Privacy Day 2021

Today is Data Privacy Day (DPD). Since 2008, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) has led this international campaign in North America, to raise awareness of the importance of privacy and promote efforts to protect your personal information.

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To mark the day, NCSA and TRUSTe, the leading global Data Privacy Management Company, published their 2016 Consumer Privacy Index.  Their Infographic has a lot of interesting statistics and shows that privacy and data security are on the minds of most people in one form or another but they don’t really know what to do about it. 

To do your part for Data Privacy Day, take a few minutes to follow the advice of NCSA to make your data secure. 

Data Privacy Day Tips – Keep your computer clean 

While many Mac users don’t use anti-virus software specifically, you still have protection from the security built into OS X.  If you are not running the latest version of your macOS version, today would be a good day to update.  While you’re at it, make sure you are running the latest version of the web browsers you use. 

Gatekeeper, introduced in OS X 10.7.5, is a great tool to help protect against installing potentially dangerous software, but there are times when you might need to by-pass it or turn it off to install software that was not signed by Apple.  Now is a good time to check that gatekeeper has not been accidentally disabled.  You can learn more about Gatekeeper here. 

Data Privacy Day Tips – USB Flash Drives 

USB flash drives are a convenient way to exchange files but they also pose the risk that a USB drive also contains malware or a virus.  Be careful about what you plug into your computer.  If you don’t know the source of the file, think twice before plugging it in. If you need to share data via a USB flash drive, and want to protect it in case your flash drive is lost or stolen, consider a USB Flash Drive from Apricorn or the iStorage.

Data Privacy Day Tips – Protect Your Data

You’ve heard it before, USE STRONG PASSWORDS.  In 2019, the two most common password were “123456” and “123456789”.

Here is a list of the most common passwords of 2020.

Rank	Password	Change from 2019
1	123456	Up 2
2	123456789	Up 3
3	picture1	New
4	password	Up 5
5	12345678	Up 6
6	111111	Up 17
7	123123	Up 18
8	12345	Down 1
9	1234567890	Up 11
10	senha	New

Source: NordPass.com

Your best protection for websites is to use long and strong passwords.  It is also recommended that you use a different password for each site. 

To help manager these passwords, consider a Password Manager application like NordPass. This  application has consistently received high marks for security and ease of use and and is available in both a free and premium version.

If your computer holds sensitive data, consider encrypting your hard drive.  Beginning with OS X 10.3, Apple introduced FileVault to encrypt the User Home Folder on a Mac.  Data was encrypted and decrypted “on the fly”.  Beginning with OS X 10.7, FileVault2 was introduced which provided a way to encrypt the entire start-up volume. 

If you need to share a large quantity of data and need to protect it from loss, or you need to store data off-site and want to be sure no one will get access to it, consider the a hardware encrypted portable drive.  Available in a variety of styles and storage sized, these drives will protect your data from falling into the wrong hands. Check out our reviews of some of the great offerings from Apricorn and iStorage.

Data Privacy Day Tips – Be Careful Where and How You Connect 

One of the easiest way to infect your Mac is through a link sent to you via email.  Even if you know the sender, be cautious about clicking on a link. If the tone of an email seems strange or it’s not the type of message you would expect from the sender, check it out before you open it.  You might be surprised to discover the sender doesn’t know anything about it either. 

When connecting to your bank or on-line shopping sites, look for the web address to start with “hhtps://” or “shttp://”.  That is an indication that the business partner on the other end of the line has taken the proper precautions to make your connection secure. 

As Wi-Fi becomes more available, we find ourselves connecting in more and more places.  When using public Wi-Fi, be cautious about what you do on your computer.  You never know who may be watching.  Stay away from logging into your bank or credit card company sites.  Even if they are using the security measures mentioned above, it’s possible for someone to intercept your log-in credentials. 

Consider using a VPN when connected to public Wi-Fi hotspots to protect your data. 

Data Privacy Day Tips – Stay Alert 

Keep up to date about the latest trends in computer security as well as the latest scams.  Web sites like StaySafe.org are a great resource for following the latest trends and issues.  Be wary of emails or web sites that demand immediate action.  No, that email from the IRS telling you to pay an overdue tax bill by going to Western Union right now is not real.  It doesn’t matter how official the web page looks.

There are still many people getting emails saying their Apple ID has been locked. We have published several articles about this scam (read the original article here and the update here.)

And finally, back up your computer!  In the event the worst happens and your Mac is compromised, a recent clean backup is the easiest way to eliminate the problem and start over.  Portable hard drives like the WD My Passport Ultra or the Seagate Backup Plus Slim are great options that allow you to easily transport your backed-up data at a reasonable price.

 To learn more about Data Privacy Day, visit the National Cyber Security Alliance web site here.

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