How to protect your personal information during a move

Believe it or not, any personal information that can be linked to you on the Internet is included in your digital footprint. So your personal information you leave on social networks – name, surname, place of residence, the school you attended, your interests, photos and videos, comments you write below content that others post… All this is some kind of a trace you leave! And this digital footprint is your footprint in the digital world. Unlike in the real world, this trail is nearly impossible to erase. So before you call the best Columbus moving services, let’s see how to protect your personal information during a move!

Protect your personal information during a move at every step of the way

Before you even start to think about how to protect your personal information during a move let’s see what is considered as “personal information”. This can be your name, address, photo, phone number, IP address of your computer, etc. Protecting your personal information and privacy is very important, so try to get as much information as possible about how to protect your privacy from others. Your online privacy also depends on your ability to control the amount of personal information you give and who has access to it.

When you relocate, it’s logical that you have to give your info to the moving company that takes care of your moving and storage Columbus Ohio. But other than that, be careful who you disclose your info to. Here are some practical tips to help you protect your privacy.

Think before you share personal information

No matter if you move to or from the state of Ohio when you go online to search for something, read the Internet Privacy Policy first. The privacy policy of a website should explain what information this website collects about you, how it uses, distributes, provides, and how you can edit or delete that information. For example, if a website does not have any privacy statement, do not open it or give any info.

Do not disclose more than is necessary

Here are some practical tips:

• Do not disclose any info you don’t usually post online
• Minimize the details that identify you or your location
• Keep your account numbers, username and password safe
• Only give your primary email address to people you know
• Give only the information you are looking for. They are usually marked with an asterisk (*) when registering or filling out different forms. Even if you need free moving estimate only disclose info that you have to

How to stay low profile

We often provide a lot of personal information online without even thinking about the risk. But once you click on the internet you leave a mark – through search history, IP address, etc. Sometimes our information can help online criminals and identity thieves in their actions. Since we don’t give personal information to strangers on the street, why should we do it online?

Here are some tips to help protect your privacy online:

• Think twice before revealing any personal information.
• Avoid using the correct name online when you don’t have to.
• Give clear instructions to your children regarding how and when they can provide information online.
• In particular, keep an eye out for “fast friends” who you have met only online and who ask you for personal information or want to meet with you.
• Take care when disclosing personal information on suspicious websites.
• Use a fake account or an anonymous address for websites that ask for an email address to register. You can open an address for free at any online mail provider.

Check cookies

Cookies are images used by websites to store your information during sessions. In most cases, they are harmless and are used to store your username when you visit a website so that you don’t have to sign in every single time. However, some of them are used by scammers to follow your routine in order to create profiles of your activities and interests for fraud. Adjust your browser to notify you when a new cookie is installed. Remember that some websites will not work if the cookie option is completely blocked.

Use an anti-spyware program that scans so-called cookie trackers

There are also cookie management programs that can delete old cookies and help you manage them. In addition, you can use the parameters of your browser to delete unwanted cookies.

Keep track of what others are posting about you

Search for your name online using at least two search engines. Search for both texts and photos. If you find any sensitive information about you on a website, contact that site and ask them to delete your information from the site at once or contact the police.

Check regularly for what others write about you on blogs and social networks. Ask friends not to post your pictures or pictures of your family without your approval. If you feel uncomfortable with the information or photos posted on others’ websites, ask them to delete it. This is especially important when you move, as thieves can use your absence to steal from your home.

Protect yourself from fraud

Keep an eye out for things that sound too good to be true, such as lottery announcements, urgent messages such as (“Your order will be turned off”), grammatical errors, etc. Think twice before you go to a website or call a phone number from an email or a suspicious message – all these can be scams. Take care of videos or games, or photos you open, songs, or other videos, even though you know the sender. Take care!