Protecting your privacy is easier than you think

Smartphones, tablets and laptops are fantastic tools: They allow us to search the Internet, answer e-mail messages and watch video whether we’re sitting on the train or waiting for our flight at the airport. Yet these devices can be dangerous, too. Should they fall into the wrong hands, your information, from your online banks accounts to your e-mail messages to your Facebook pages, can fall victim to cyber thieves. And there’s little limit to the damage they can create. Luckily for us, there are steps that you can use to protect your privacy even in today’s age of mobile computing, and as Forbes says, these steps are incredibly easy.

Password Protect

We all depend on a host of electronic devices today, everything from smartphones to laptop computers to tablets. Imagine if you lose one of these devices? What happens if they’re stolen? How much information could the wrong people access, and just what damage might they do by using it? Fortunately, you can defend yourself by requiring users enter a password to unlock your device. That way, if someone steals your tablet, that person might not be able to break into your online bank account.

Google Alerts

To protect your privacy, you may want to know what people are writing about you online. To do this, set up a Google Alert in your name. You’ll then receive a message whenever someone says something with regards to you online. As Forbes says, there isn’t any easier way to track what’s being said about you.

Signing Out

Finally, Forbes reminds you to sign out of your accounts every time you’re finished with your online banking, Facebook updates or e-mail retrievals. After all, you don’t want someone else to stumble upon your computer and snoop around your private sites simply because you forgot to sign out. And if you’re using a public computer such as one at your local library or bookstore? Signing out is an even more important step.