(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today encouraged consumers to guard their personal information online in recognition of Data Privacy Day, January 28.
“Protecting personal information is an important part of keeping Ohio families safe from financial fraud,” said Attorney General Mike DeWine. “As consumers share more data online, taking the time to consider using strong privacy and security settings can help Ohioans better protect their most personal information.”
Consumers can protect their personal information by taking the following steps:
- Know your privacy settings. If you use social networking sites, make sure you carefully control how much information is available to the public. If your privacy settings are set to “default,” you may be sharing more than you realize. Regardless of your privacy settings, do not post your birth place, birth year, vacation plans, home address, or password clues on your profile.
- Configure your wireless router to encrypt data. If you use wireless Internet, be sure to activate your router’s encryption feature to better protect information you transmit over the Web, such as account logins, passwords and credit card numbers. For help configuring your router, visit www.onguardonline.gov/topics/wireless-security.aspx.
- Don’t assume that public “hot spots” are secure. Café, hotel, and airport “hot spots” are convenient, but assume that other people can see anything you view or send over a public wireless network.
To teach children and teens about online safety, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office conducts presentations to children, parents, administrators, and parent-teacher associations across the state. The training covers cyber-bullying, online predators, and social networking.
To learn more or to file a consumer complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov or by calling 800-282-0515.
Data Privacy Day is internationally recognized on January 28, when businesses, individuals, government agencies, nonprofit groups, and academics join together to raise awareness of information privacy.
Media Contact:
Lisa Hackley: 614-644-0508