Give Your Personal Information a Deep Clean
Cue the singing forest animals, it’s time for some spring cleaning! In between sorting through your summer clothes and dusting off patio furniture, don’t forget to declutter your personal documents, both online and physical copies. 2018 had some of the largest data breaches of all time, which included companies such as Facebook, Marriott and Under Armour, to name a few.
BBB shares some tips and resources for disposing of your personal information both physically and online.
· Keep a clean machine: Ensure all software on internet-connected devices is up to date to reduce the risk of infection from malware.
· Lock down your login: Your usernames and passwords are not enough for personal data protection. Begin your spring cleaning by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device.
· Declutter your mobile life: Delete unused apps and keep others current, including the operating system on your mobile device. Actively manage your location services, Bluetooth, microphone and camera to make sure apps use them appropriately.
· Do a digital file purge: Perform a thorough review of your online files. Start removing digital clutter by doing the following:
o Clean up your email: Only save emails you really need and unsubscribe to emails you no longer need/want to receive.
o Back it up: Copy important data to a secure cloud site or another computer or drive where it can be safely stored. Make sure to back up your files before getting rid of a device.
· Own your online presence: Review the privacy and security settings on websites you use.
· Know what devices to digitally “shred”: Computers and mobile phones aren’t the only devices that capture and store sensitive, personal data. External hard drives and USBs, tape drives, embedded flash memory, wearables, networking equipment and office tools like copiers, printers and fax machines all contain valuable personal information and require personal data protection.
· Clear out stockpiles: If you have a stash of old hard drives or other devices – even if they’re in a locked storage area – information still exists and could be stolen. Wipe and/or destroy unneeded hard drives as soon as possible.
· Empty your trash or recycle bin on all devices and be certain to wipe and overwrite: Use a program that wipes the data from your device and then overwrites it by putting random data in place of your information.
· To be “shredded,” a hard drive must be chipped into small pieces: Use a trusted shredding company to dispose of your old hard drives.
Fifty-six percent of identity theft victims traced the theft to something that was stolen from their own possession. So, when it comes to physical documents here’s the first rule: If you don’t need it, shred it. Here is a list of how long you should be holding onto certain documents.
· Documents to shred immediately: sales receipts (after the policy/warranty expires), ATM receipts, credit offers, canceled checks, expired warranties and junk mail.
· Keep for up to 1 year: Pay stubs, bank statements, paid, undisputed medical bills and paid bills.
· Keep for 7 years: tax-related receipts, tax-related canceled checks, W-2s and records for tax deductions taken.
· Keep while active: most contractors, auto titles, home deeds, disputed medical bills, home improvement receipts (until sale), insurance documents and records of pensions and retirement plans.
· Keep permanently: birth certificates, social security cards, marriage certificate, divorce decree, citizenship papers, adoption papers, death certifications, tax returns and wills.
If you are looking for an opportunity to shred your documents, BBB is here to help with Secure Your ID Day. On Saturday, May 18, 2019, BBB Serving Eastern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula will host this helpful identity theft prevention event featuring FREE on-site shredding, along with tips to protect your identity. Mobile shredding trucks will be on-site accepting three bags or boxes of unwanted documents. Any bag or box beyond the three, BBB will be accepting $10.00 donations toward our Educational Foundation.
