It’s the festive season and like Kevin McCallister’s family in Home Alone, we are getting ready to kick back, relax and enjoy what the holiday season has to offer. In today’s world, every tap, interaction and swipe provide an opportunity for digital snoopers to invade your privacy and before we get to merrymaking, we need to do a quick privacy audit of our digital homes (our electronic devices) and activities. By making use of our wits and tools that are already in our disposal, we will be able to protect our data from pesky digital bandits, Wet and otherwise.
Let’s get to it shall we?
- Beware the appeal of reward or loyalty programmes
We have all come across terms like “Get 10% off if you sign up to be a member”. There is no denying that this is a tempting offer. I mean you save £2 from that £20 purchase? Heck yes. However, before signing up to any loyalty schemes to save costs on Christmas presents, take a moment to find out how your data will be used by reading the privacy notice and searching for terms such as "Data sharing". From this, you can understand how your data is going to be used, what kind of profile retailers can build from the information they collect from you and who else will have access to this information. Is it for example just the online shop in question or their other "partners" who will use your data for marketing purposes?
Having research this more fully, you can make an informed decision as to whether you’ll share your contact details with the retailer. If you are in a rush, use a throw-away email account that you don’t mind getting flooded with marketing offers and avoid having it link back to your primary personal information.
- Stay safe on social media
Like Kevin’s parents, you might be travelling abroad or alternatively just staying local in a well-decorated home and of course you’d like to show everyone that you are having a good time. But Instagram doesn’t need to know where you are with every breath you take.
While enjoying the company of your loved ones, ensure that your social media apps aren’t keeping track of every move you make. Review your privacy settings such as your location (which should always be off unless you are navigating through unknown territories), who can see your posts, connected experiences (this is content you can share to two or more Meta accounts at the same time) and how your activity information can be used to influence the type of advertisements or content that can be shown to you.
- Device and App updates
Almost every week there are new updates to apps or operating systems on our devices and too often we ignore these and leave them for another time (don’t worry most of the population is guilty of this). However, these updates are necessary to patch any security gaps that are in our devices or applications that can be abused by hackers.
By keeping your applications, devices and antivirus software up to date, you are using the digital version of Kevin’s fiendish traps to keep those devious intruders away from your digital home. So, when you have a minute to spare, click on all the necessary updates and enjoy some mulled wine knowing that your data has an active defence system in place.
- Emails and texts
“We know you’re in there. It’s Santa Claus and his elf,” said the Wet Bandits. No, it isn’t. Santa doesn’t send messages telling you to click on a link to verify your personal details so he can send you your present(s). Just as banks don’t send you an email asking you for your password to verify details in your account.
Before clicking on that link or responding to that message that looks a little-off this season, take a second to ask yourself, would this provider ask me to do this? Is this their normal mode of communication? Is this how they usually ask for details? Is this the channel they use to communicate such information? Does that email address really look like one of theirs? If the answers to these questions are no, delete that message or flag it to your bank so they are up to date with all the ways scammers are trying to access their customers information.
At the end of the day, protecting your data is about using your judgment and relevant resources to protect yourself and your digital home with the same level of importance as you would your physical homes. By carrying out the simple privacy checks above, we not only ensuring that our data is secure, but we also know with whom we are sharing it. Then, and only then can we truly enjoy the holiday jingles and set new year resolutions that have the lifespan of a fruit fly.
PS: Do rewatch Home Alone (1990 version) this festive season. This is not privacy advice. It’s just a feel-good Christmas movie.