Hello Sophisticated Spenders!
Everywhere we look there is a new data breach in the headlines.
I thought the Federal Employee data breach was huge but the Ashley Madison data breech has taken the cake.
For those of you who have been under a rock have no idea who Ashley Madison is. This young lady has a website for men who would like to cheat on their spouses. And said men (and women) pay to cheat!
So imagine the horror of a data breach of such a sketchy website.
Embarrassing (they actually put the ASS in embarrassing)!
Which brings me to share a few tips:
1: Nothing on the internet is private! You may think your information is safe (they actually pay good money for fancy pants marketers to tell you your information is safe), but they can’t keep up with the hackers.
2: Always update your operating systems, browsers, apps and anti-virus software! I’ve lost data and had to re-start this blog from scratch-twice. All because I didn’t regularly check for updates. If you keep everything updated, you give the hackers a harder job of stealing your data.
3: Passwords! If your password is asdf1234 raise your hand in the air. Now smack yourself with said hand!
4: Pre-paid gift Cards! Pre-paid gift cards keep your money safe. Think, you shouldn’t be making any online purchases or subscribing to any Ashley Madison-esque sites or services with your debit card. Buy yourself a pre-paid (reloadable) VISA and make online purchases with said card that isn’t linked to your personal information.
5: Pre-paid gift Cards (again)! Pre-paid gift cards also help you budget. If you have an eBay or Amazon shopping habit, this may be perfect for you! Using $100 pre-paid gift cards will keep your spending in check.
6: Avoid Western Union! I shouldn’t have to say this but DO NOT EVER send ANY(online)ONE money via Western Union. No matter how convincing their story is, it is a scam! (Listen to this cool episode of Reply All (click here). The scamsters throw HUGE parties when the convince an idiot to send money.)
Do you have anything to add? What are your tips for Online Privacy?
