Why this Valentine's Day, you should first focus on your personal data, privacy

In this era of social media and dating apps, it’s incredibly easy to take advantage of the amount of personal data consumers readily, and somewhat naively, share online. It is Valentine's day and extra attention turns to social media platforms as well as dating apps and sites. It's often said that 'Love is blind', but you should not forget that this can expose your privacy to countless eyes of strangers across the globe. Notably, women are most vulnerable to the misuse of their personal data. So, this Valentine's Day, you should remember not to throw caution to the winds in the name of love. It is of utmost importance to keep your eyes open to ensure your personal data and photos remain a secret. 

Nowadays, it's very easy to find someone on social media using the person's name. Near and on Valentine's Day, social media platforms, dating apps and sites have made maintaining your privacy a tough job.

"Many millennial couples meet on dating sites where users are invited to share personal anecdotes, answer questions, and post photos of themselves. The nature of these apps is to get to know a stranger better, but the amount of personal information we choose to share can create security risks. We have to be careful as the line between creepy and cute quickly blurs when users can access someone’s status update, tweet, and geotagged photo," said Radhika Sarang, Director of Global Consumer Product Marketing, McAfee.
 
Sarang suggests that if you’re a digital user, be sure to consider these precautions:

1. Always set privacy and security settings. All internet users can access your social media accounts if it’s public, so turn your profiles private so you have control over who you gets to follow you. Take it a step further and go into your app settings to control which apps you want to share your location with and which ones you don’t.

2. Use a screen name for social media accounts. If you don’t want a simple search of your name on Google to lead to all your social media accounts, consider using a different variation of your real name.

3. Watch what you post. Before tagging your friends or location on Instagram and posting your location on Facebook, think about what this private information reveals about you publicly and how it could be used by a third-party.

4. Use strong passwords. In the chance, your data does become exposed, or your device is stolen, a strong, unique password can help prevent your accounts from being hacked.

5. Leverage two-factor authentication. Remember to always implement two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your device. This will help strengthen your online accounts with a unique, one-time code required to log in and access your data.

6. Use the cloud with caution. If you plan to store your data in the cloud, be sure to set up an additional layer of access security (one way of doing this is through two-factor authentication), so that no one can access the wealth of information your cloud holds. If your smartphone is lost or stolen, you can access your password protected cloud account to lock third-parties out of your device, and more importantly your personal data.

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Besides, several experts have opined that you should also not click pictures of your secret moments. And even if you click, you should never upload it on any social media sites even with password security. 

Don't let your private data become fodder for the hackers. Stay vigilant, stay safe at all times.