Protecting Yourself Online
Your personal information is valuable and worth protecting.
This doesn’t mean you have to go off the grid. It does mean you should be intentional about what you share, where you share it, and who has access to it—especially as artificial intelligence continues to shape the digital world around us.
Protecting personal information is a fitting final piece of North Dakota’s Stay Cyber SMART campaign:
- Set strong, unique passwords.
- Make multifactor authentication a habit.
- Avoid risky links, attachments, and senders.
- Regularly update software and devices.
- Take care with personal information.
What’s Considered Personal Information?
Personal information includes much more than Social Security numbers or bank account credentials. It can include anything that identifies you or can be connected to you.
Examples include:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Home address
- Email address
- Phone number
- Driver’s license number
- Health information
- School or workplace information
- Location data
- Personal photos and videos
- Names of family members or pets
- Usernames and social media profiles
Even details that seem insignificant can become powerful when combined with other information. With AI tools able to quickly analyze and cross‑reference public data, for example, small pieces of information can turn into big advantages for cybercriminals.
A public social media profile might reveal your workplace, hometown, birthday, family members, favorite sports team, or pet’s name. To a cybercriminal, those details become puzzle pieces used to create convincing scams or break into accounts.
What Can Cybercriminals Do With Your Information?
Give fraudsters what they’re looking for, and they’ll have a hay day.
Identity Theft
Criminals can combine information from different sources to impersonate you, open accounts, apply for credit, or commit other types of fraud. As a reminder, AI makes gathering and organizing this information faster than ever.
Account Takeover
Email addresses and phone numbers are often connected to important online accounts. If a criminal obtains this information—especially along with a password—they’ll likely try to take over an account.
Social Engineering & Phishing
Cybercriminals use information about you to make scams more convincing. They may know where you work, who you work with, or names of your family members. That information can help them create a message that appears to come from someone you trust.
And, thanks to AI, fraudsters can generate personalized messages, mimic writing styles, or produce more polished scams with fewer errors, making them harder to spot. But no matter how realistic a message appears, if it asks for sensitive information, money, a password, or urgent action, always verify through a trusted method before responding.
Think Before You Share
Before posting online, consider what someone else could learn from it.
Ask yourself:
- Does this photo reveal my home address, license plate, or location?
- Am I sharing information about where I’ll be or when I’ll be away from home?
- Does this post reveal my workplace, school, or daily routine?
- Could someone use this information to guess a password or security question?
- Am I sharing someone else’s personal information without permission?
- Would I be comfortable with this information being seen by someone I don’t know?
Also, be mindful that deleting a post doesn’t necessarily mean the information is gone. Screenshots, downloads, and other copies may still exist, which is why it’s important to think carefully before posting sensitive information in the first place.
Be Careful With Artificial Intelligence
AI tools can be useful for writing, research, brainstorming, and more. But think carefully about what information you provide in your prompts.
Before using AI, consider:
- Am I entering personal, confidential, or sensitive information?
- Does the tool actually need this information?
- Is this an approved tool for what I’m sharing?
- Could I accomplish the same task without sharing identifying details?
A good rule of thumb: If you wouldn’t post it publicly or send it to a stranger, think twice before entering it into an AI tool.
Simple Ways to Protect Your Information
You don’t need to avoid social media or abandon online services to protect your privacy. A few simple habits can make a meaningful difference, securing your digital life today and laying a safer foundation for the future.
Review App Permissions
Check which apps can access your location, contacts, camera, microphone, photos, and other information. Remove permissions you don’t need.
Check Your Privacy Settings
Review privacy and security settings on your social media accounts, devices, and frequently used apps. Also, understand what’s public and who can see your information.
Limit What You Share Publicly
Think twice before sharing your birthday, address, travel plans, workplace details, family information, or answers to common security questions.
Clean Up Your Digital Footprint
Delete old accounts and apps you no longer use. Review old posts, profiles, and public information.
Pro tip: Search for your name online from time to time to see what information about you is publicly available.
Watch for Data Breaches
If a company you use experiences a data breach, be alert for suspicious messages or unusual activity.
Defend Your Accounts
Use strong, unique passwords and turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) whenever it’s available. A password manager can make it easier to use unique passwords without having to remember them all.
Protect What Matters
The goal isn’t to avoid technology altogether. It’s to make smart, informed decisions about what you share and who has access to it.
Stay safe. Stay secure. And as always—Stay Cyber SMART.
