We all might have heard terms such as online fraud or digital theft, haven’t we? We might not be very familiar with them, but this is one of the prominent cybersecurity issues that leads to various kinds of online scams. 

At present times, everything from shopping to banking to bill payments has gone digital. The risk of fraud, data breaches, and digital identity theft has also increased manifold. Before diving straight into how we can protect our digital identity in this interconnected digital space, let’s first understand what digital identity is and why safeguarding matters.

What is Digital Identity?

Anything we do online, from shopping, browsing social media, or surfing Google, we leave a sort of virtual fingerprint behind. The fingerprint contains our name, address, device, and many other important data. This trail is called as our digital identity.

In other words, a digital identity is a collection of specific types of information that exists online, even if we provide it knowingly or unknowingly. From creating accounts on websites and agreeing to privacy policies to casual activities like scrolling memes, each action leaves behind a digital trail of our IP address, which can be traced back. 

Why does digital identity need to be protected?

The digital identity serves many purposes. The data helps us get more personalized preferences and even saves time by remembering the credentials. Balancing digital identity and privacy becomes crucial because it can also lead to unwanted risk and scams if not protected well. 

• The misuse or theft of personal data for malicious intentions may lead to financial scams, illegal access to personal information, or any unsolicited crime. The online theft data is alarming; there is a report of a 1,265% increase in phishing attacks, driven by the growing use of Gen AI.
• Unethical hacking or unauthorized data misconduct can have unimaginable consequences. One cyberattack can pause all the functioning of any business. 
• Gen Zs, millennials, and women are vulnerable to these types of job scams. Protecting their data or imprints can save lots of investment/credit card fraud.

What can we do to protect our digital identity?

We can take some steps to prevent these fraudulent activities on our side. Maintaining cybersecurity hygiene by being cautious and alert can help protect your and your loved ones’ personal data to a great extent. 

Strong and unique passwords

One must keep strong, unique and complex passwords for all social media, banking, and password management accounts to limit the chances of getting hacked. A strong password has uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols that can’t be easily manipulated by hackers. For example: use Jack@763Ken#46 instead of Jack@123

Enable two-factor authentication

Sometimes, we require more than strong passwords. You need multi-factor authentication that offers an extra layer of authentication, where one can’t log in without a code sent to your phone, email address or app. This additional security layer helps improve security even if your password has somehow compromised. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Apple provide two-factor authentication for enhanced security purposes. 

Limited use & access

Using public wifi at cafes, stations, airports, or shopping malls proves to be highly unsafe as they are vulnerable to getting hacked for vindictive reasons. Try not to browse or give sensitive information to any dubious website at such places. 

Also, check what personal data access you’re providing to any website/app. Make sure that you are only entering payment information on secure sites and use the HTTPS protocol if offered, and look at any security certificate that may be available before entering any important payment information.

Opt for antivirus protection

Antivirus software continues to be an essential element in the protection of your digital identity. Today's antivirus software not only offers detection and removal of viruses, but also provides real-time prevention that covers a variety of malware, including ransomware, spyware, and other rogue programs designed to obtain your personal information.

Read Privacy Policy

You must go through the website’s privacy and third-party usage policy to ensure your personal data is not transferred without your permission. Remove any unnecessary accounts and applications that may still have access to your information.

Use VPN for enhanced data security

You must consider using VPN (Virtual Private Networks), especially if you want to protect financial data. It provides a deeper layer of encryption to your data, making it difficult to hack. When you set up your accounts, be sure to secure your phone and laptop using a PIN, password, or biometric lock.

Aware of deepfake videos

As the era of Artificial Intelligence continues to unfold, deep fake technology is being weaponizes for scams and fraud. Cybercriminals can now create fake videos of loved ones or public figures to deceive people, build trust, and manipulate emotions for monetary fraud.

Lock your devices

Use smart pin, pattern or fingerprint locks for your personal device. Smartphones come up with security features where you can track your phone if it gets stolen. If you have enabled the remote wipe feature (such as Find My iPhone, Find My Device, etc.), the phone can be traced easily. 

Stay Informed

Be aware of phishing scams and financial fraud that are happening by stealing your digital identity. It’s better to be cautious than sorry later. Do not ever give sensitive data without verifying where the request is coming from. Also, do not click on unknown links and avoid downloading unknown attachments that come on WhatsApp or Messenger.

Summary

Digital identity-related frauds and scams are on the rise. One out of 10 people is affected by some form of malicious cyberattacks. Being alert and aware can protect your digital identity to a greater degree.