Data breaches are, unfortunately, quite common these days. Even big businesses, from T-Mobile to Experian, have already been impacted by these breaches. That means that customer information may have been released to third parties that want to steal and misuse that information.

Being aware of the risk of data breaches is one thing. What you really need to do is take steps to protect yourself as best as possible so you can hopefully avoid ever becoming the victim of a breach. While you can’t control what businesses do, you can certainly take steps, such as those discussed below, to help keep your data safe and secure.

Make It Harder for Scammers to Access Your Information

One of the many things you can do to protect yourself against data breaches is limit the amount of information that is out there about you. This includes being cautious about the information that you post about yourself on websites, blogs, and social media platforms. It also means only interacting with trustworthy and reputable businesses.

Also, this involves checking where your info is currently being displayed online. Many people find that their contact details and background information is found easily on people search sites. Opting out of those pages is a great way to start to regain control over the data that even complete strangers would be able to access about you online. Give it a try by heading to Nuwber right now, performing a search using your name, and opting out to have your listing removed quickly and easily.

Regularly Change Your Passwords

Other ways to protect yourself against data breaches are surprisingly simple. For example, just making it a point to change your passwords on a regular basis is a great idea. Use strong passwords that are long and difficult to guess, and that contain a combination of numbers, letters, and symbols.

Also, even though it might be really convenient to use the same password for multiple accounts, this is actually a bad idea. Why, you ask? Well, if a hacker were to figure out one password, they’d be able to access multiple accounts, and you definitely don’t want that!

Be Aware of Scams

There are a lot of different types of scams that people use to take advantage of others and steal valuable data. Phishing scams are a classic example. If you get an email with links in it, avoid clicking on those links until you verify that the email came from the real source, not some scammer. Otherwise, you might end up clicking on a link that installs a virus or you might be tricked into giving away your personal information to a cyber criminal.

Install Security Software to Protect Your Computer

You can do everything possible to keep your data, accounts, and passwords as secure as possible, but if your computer isn’t protected, you might still be vulnerable to cyber attacks. So, another smart strategy would be to look into the various security programs that are available for PC and Mac systems. With the right software, you will be able to do things like scan your computer regularly to look for and remove viruses, malware, and other threats. And if you have protective features like a firewall or a VPN, you can further protect yourself against hackers and various types of cyber attacks.