Protecting our data online can be difficult depending on how we’re used to browsing the web. Arizona 360 learned more about what people should consider to keep their data safe from Matt Hashim, an expert in security and privacy at the University of Arizona Eller College of Business Management. While most social media websites are free, Hashim said there is a transaction happening that many users often overlook.
“If they’re free, they’re not just giving that away because it makes them feel good. They’re giving that away because they use and collect your data and then sell that or use that in other ways to make some money,” Hashim said. “We need to know that there’s not really this expectation that everything I do is between me and that particular site that I’m going to. There may be some sharing or some use of that data in other ways.”
Hashim also urged people to set up two-step authentication. It refers to when a website needs a user’s password and a secondary code that is often sent to the user’s phone in order to login. He also cautioned against being too trusting when using public Wi-Fi.
“There should not be 100% confidence that someone else is not intercepting my data. So if I’m at a public Wi-Fi, I don’t do banking. I don’t do business.”
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