ONLINE ADVISORY: Own Your Online Presence

As our digital lives become more connected, it is increasingly important that we all protect our personal information and manage our privacy.

STOP. THINK. CONNECT.’s Own Your Online Presence campaign encourages digital citizens to better understand how to manage their digital lives with simple, actionable steps.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OWN MY ONLINE PRESENCE?

Owning your online presence is actively managing your privacy and staying current with new ways to stay safe online such as using available tools – like privacy and security settings – to manage who sees the things you post online and with whom you share information.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

What you may not realize is that there is probably more of your personal information floating around in cyberspace than you think. Everything, from what you post on social media and your browsing habits, to the information organizations collect about you leaves a digital footprint. The things you do online make an impact offline. You can create a strong and positive online reputation by taking steps to better manage your privacy and protect your personal information.

HOW CAN I OWN MY ONLINE PRESENCE?

• Personal information is like money. Value it. Protect it.
  Information about you, such as your purchase history or location, has value – just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it’s collected through appsApps Applications or Apps An application (software), commonly referred to as an ‘app’ is a program on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or device. Apps are designed for specific tasks, including checking the weather, accessing the internet, looking at photos, playing media, mobile banking, etc. Many apps can access the internet if needed and can be downloaded (used) either for a price or for free. Apps are a major point of vulnerability on all devices. Some are designed to be malicious, such as logging keystrokes or activity, and others can even transport malware. Always be careful about any app you are thinking about installing. and websites.
• Be aware of what’s being shared
  Set the privacy and security settings on web services and devices to your comfort level for information sharing. It’s OK to limit how and with whom you share information.
• Share with care
  Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it could be perceived now and in the future.
• Apply the golden rule online
  Post only about others as you have them post about you.
• Keep a clean machine
  Keep all software, operating systems (mobile and PC) and apps up to date to protect against data loss from infections and malwareMalware Short for "malicious software," this term means computer viruses and other types of programs that cybercriminals use to disrupt or access your computer, typically with the aim of gathering sensitive files and accounts..

The National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) privacy awareness campaign is an integral component of STOP. THINK. CONNECT. ‒ the global online safety, security and privacy campaign. Data Privacy Day is the signature event for the campaign and is officially organized by NCSA in North America.

SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. (& RSN) is an official “Stop | Think | Connect Partner”

Data Privacy Day began in the United States and Canada in January 2008 as an extension of the Data Protection Day celebration in Europe. Cisco, ESET and TRUSTe are Leading Sponsors of the privacy awareness campaign. Intel is a Contributing Sponsor. Lockheed Martin and Passcode are Participating Sponsors. Supporting Sponsors include CPDP2016, ExpressVPN, ForgeRock, Mozilla, Privacy Ref, Privacy Salon, PRIVATIZE ME and PRIVATE WiFi. The hashtag for NCSA’s privacy campaign efforts is #PrivacyAware.

Stop | Think | Connect™ is a program of the United States Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department (under the President) responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cybersecurity, and disaster prevention and management.

SCARS is the Society of Citizens Against Romance ScamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. www.AgainstScams.org

RSN is the ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. Avoidance Education and Scam Victims’ Assistance & Support division of SCARS. www.RomanceScamsNow.com

Please report all scammers & cybercriminals on www.Anyscam.com – the SCARS Project Anyscam Website.

Act Against Scams™ / ActAgainstScams™, Anyscam™, SCARS™, RSN™, Romance Scams Now™, and the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams™, in any form, are all trademarks of the Society of Citizens Against Romance Scams. All rights reserved worldwide.