We live in a crazy age. The internet has made immense amounts of data available at incredible speeds, and a lot of the time the world feels like it’s in a, “Go! Go! Go!” state of mind. When everything gets so busy, it’s easier to act without thinking through the potential ramifications—especially when it comes to your data protection and privacy.
To make life a little easier, we’ve compiled a list of services and EDC gear that will help protect you, your information, and your privacy. Now you don’t have to waste time worrying about whether or not your sensitive information is secure, and you can spend your time on more honorable pursuits.
1. Key Protection
Did you know that someone can literally take a picture of your keys, take that image, and then have a key cut from the image? It’s equally impressive and terrifying. To protect the security of your home and car, you can carry your keys in a key organizer. This way, your keys can be securely (and neatly) carried! Check out this key organizer by OrbitKey.
2. RFID Protection
RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. That’s pretty confusing. Basically what it means is that, rather than having to swipe your credit card, you can just scan it. Most credit card companies offer this feature, and you may even recognize some of the names—”PayPass” (MasterCard), “PayWave” (Visa), “ExpressPay” (American Express) and “Zip” (Discover). RFID makes your paying process faster, but it can also make your information more vulnerable. So, what’re you to do? Carry your credit cards in an RFID protective wallet of course! Check out this RFID protecting wallet from KeySmart.
3. Mail Protection
Lever Gear is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina in a regional area called “the Upstate.” As of late, the Upstate has been dealing with a slew of mail theft issues where individuals have been driving around neighborhoods stealing mail, personal information, and the ten dollars your grandma sent for your birthday right out of the box—not to mention the packaged goodies you ordered from Amazon. To combat this, the United States Postal Service is now offering Informed Delivery. Using this service, the USPS will send you images of your mail and will even alert you to anticipated, delayed, and completed deliveries.
4. Webcam Protection
Did you know hackers can access the cameras on your computer and your phone and watch YOU without your knowledge or your consent? A little creepy to say the least. If you don’t use your camera very often, a simple solution is to put a small piece of tape over the camera to obscure it. Black electrical tape works well and isn’t distracting. If you’re a frequent FaceTimer or video confrencer, something like these cover slides can keep you protected and your camera readily available.
5. Information Protection
On a list of ways someone can steal your identity, The Federal Trade Commission literally lists going through garbage to collect discarded personal information first. What does that mean for you? It means you need to be careful about what you throw in the trash. Any thing from bank documents with account numbers, medical records with your birth date, insurance information with the last four of your social—it all seems pretty harmless until you put all those pieces together and realize just by dumpster diving, criminals have a massive amount of sensitive information. To combat this, you’re going to want a paper shredder. It’s a very small up front cost when it could save you so much headache down the road.