Take control of your data during Data Privacy Week

This week is Data Privacy Week, an international effort to spread awareness about online privacy. Your data is collected every day through your phone, computer, and even just being online. While you can’t completely prevent your data from being gathered by companies, you do have control over how much of your personal data you share. This week, take some time to review your data sharing habits and use these tips to protect your information.

Manage your apps

When you download apps, there’s usually a disclaimer describing how that app will use your data. For example, a map app will need your geographic location to function properly. However, the information you allow apps access to is incredibly valuable for the businesses running the app, so it’s important to determine how much sharing your info will affect you: 

• Make sure the data being requested is relevant to the app. (e.g., “Why does a gaming app need access to my camera?”)
• Always ask yourself if downloading an app is worth the amount of data being requested.
• Delete any apps that you haven’t used in a long time, as they could still be collecting your data.   
• Go into your device’s settings and manage the privacy settings for your apps. Consider providing minimal access to certain data (e.g., allowing map apps access to your location only while using the app).

Keep your data safe

The ways we protect data at WCM should also be practiced to safeguard your personal data. Always remember to: 

• Create long and unique passwords for your accounts and devices.
• Turn on multifactor authentication on any app that offers it to keep your accounts safe if your password is compromised.
• Install updates on your device as soon as they’re available to ensure you’re receiving all the latest security features.
• Be mindful of phishing scams seeking your data.

Check out our cybersecurity resources for more helpful tips on protecting your data.