When your data is leaked by a huge, faceless organization, it feels like there is nothing you can do. But when protecting your privacy and data in public, you have more options available.
Never Leave Passwords in the Open
A huge pet peeve of mine is when I see passwords anywhere near somebody’s computer–yes, this includes under your keyboard. It’s such a bad habit that people have, even in professional work settings. If someone wants access to your system, the first thing they will do is look under your keyboard. The second place will be the nearest desk drawer.
I never keep passwords near my devices. The safest way to save passwords is with a password manager. Of course, the best method is to commit them to memory, but who has the mental energy for that?
Never Leave your Laptop Unattended
Another pet peeve of mine is when colleagues decide to take their lunch break or go to the bathroom without locking their computers (especially when they have administrative privileges to the entire network!). This can have devastating consequences (luckily, there are no criminals at the company I work for, but you can never be too cautious).
This goes to you, too. If you’re in a public space and need to use the bathroom, make sure to lock your laptop (although you should probably just bring it with you). Likewise, if you are at work, lock your computer. Never leave your devices unattended.
Protect Your PIN
The PIN to your debit card is essential for security. If someone finds your wallet and your debit card is in it, they cannot make any purchases without your PIN (although contactless cards are changing that).
For one, it’s not a good idea to leave a note in your wallet that says “PIN for debit card. ” You should also be mindful of how you enter your PIN in public. You never know if someone is peeking over your shoulder. When entering your PIN, cover the PIN pad with your opposite hand.
There could also be cameras watching and waiting to capture the PIN you enter, which leads us to the next topic.
Always Check for Skimmers
Card skimmers cover point-of-sale (POS) or ATMs and are designed to steal your card details. Some of them are incredibly crafted, and you’d never know the PIN pad had a disguised cover over it. Now, there’s no guaranteed way of knowing whether there is a skimmer on it, but before you insert your card into the PIN pad, give it a glance and feel around the edges. If it moves, or the buttons seem more difficult than usual to press, there may be a skimmer.
With an ATM, you can wiggle the card insert slot to see if anything feels loose or shouldn’t be there. If something feels untoward, don’t use it.
The criminals that set these up also place hidden cameras to capture the PIN you enter (what good are the card details without the PIN?), which brings us back to the previous section of protecting your PIN (even if you think no one is watching)!
Be Mindful When Entering Passwords in Public
Similarly to entering your PIN, consider your surroundings before you log into accounts. If you’re in the convenience store at the checkout line, with people behind you, it’s probably not the best idea to pull up your banking application and start typing away. People probably won’t remember your login credentials (but who is to say?), but cameras are forever.
