The online world is massive and complex and our personal data can be all over the place and unprotected. It can be quite overwhelming. But if we take a pro-active and planned approach, we can take control of it by following some simple and easy steps.
Allocate some time to work on the security plan
We are all extremely busy. We have families, we have work and we need time for ourselves. But as our lives are getting more and more digital, we need to make sure our personal information is secure in this increasingly complex world. We have more online accounts to manage and we are sharing personal data in more places than ever. And to make matters worse, bad actors are getting more active than ever to steal that data. Unfortunately it is more than just signing up for an identity protection services or installing some security software on our computers.
Like planning anything – our work projects, a vacation, a wedding etc., we need to sit down and work out a project plan. Once we have a good “personal online security plan”, we need to execute it well. Online security can be as simple as that.
First, we need to set aside some time to work on this “personal online security plan”. It can be a couple of hours every week or it could be a few hours every month. It depends on what you can afford. Every person has their own lifestyle and has different needs, so we have to do the best we can. But we should find out some time in our busy lives to put ourselves in control of our personal data.
Second, we need to be disciplined enough to execute the “personal online security plan”. That can be the difference between having peace of mind that our data is secure and losing time and money to fix our stolen identity.
As we will see in the detailed action plan steps, the “personal online security plan” is a combination of understanding what our personal data is, how it can be misused by cyber criminals and how to protect it. In addition, we all can make a difference in ensuring order and security in the digital world by joining forces and making our voices heard.
Setting aside time for personal security
Once we realize how complex the world has become and how important it is to protect our personal information, it will automatically force us to pay more attention to it. We should prioritize this at the very top along with our family time, fitness activities, entertainment activities. We have to carve out time.
The average American had 150 online accounts in 2017 and is expected to grow to 300 in 2022.
Dashlane 2017 Study
How much time do we need
Initially we will need more time if we need to ramp up on our knowledge of online security basics and understanding our exposure. Once we are comfortable with the basics and have completed the security audit, it will only be a matter of monitoring it and making sure everything is up to date.
For beginners –
- Couple of hours every week to go through videos or tutorials about online security
- Couple of hours every week to implement the security protection measures
As we are well on our way to being in charge of our data –
- An hour or two every week to make sure all our data protection measures are up to date
Once you have completed the first step, continue on to the second step of the action plan. Very soon you will much more comfortable about the security of your data.
