Your Digital Information Might Not Be As Safe As You Think — Here is How To Protect It

Where are you storing your most important information? Is your driver’s license in your email attachments? Are your passwords on a note app? 

For many, the answer is yes. The digital age has made it super convenient to share and store information – but this convenience means your information is easily accessible to those who may wish to use it for nefarious purposes. 

In today’s increasingly digital world, people have to manage more passwords, security codes and information than ever before. People are increasingly relying on their digital devices and the internet to safeguard and organize their data.

All too often, people store important personal documents like identity cards, tax information, passwords and more on Google Drive and the iPhone Notes appl. 

How safe are these options? Turns out, they may not be as safe as we hope.

Hackers and online thieves are growing more sophisticated, but lax data storage methods give them even easier access. A hacker stealing your Social Security Number, information we often have to provide or store digitally, can cause years of damage to your credit report, tax debt and more. You could even find yourself fighting criminal charges. 

Hackers may also go after passwords, unlock financial accounts such as crypto wallets and traditional bank accounts, or collecting information to compromise an individual’s identity. In 2022 alone, hackers have siphoned away around $2 billion dollars. And not only can privacy breaches threaten your financial security in the present, they can also cause lasting damage that can affect your credit score and more for years. 

Identity and information theft often feels like a violation to the victim, with similar emotional and psychological consequences as experienced when someone breaks into your home. You wouldn’t leave your keys in the door or the passcode to your keypad written on the door it opens – keeping your information in unsafe digital places is akin to this.

How Secure Is Your Method For Storing Information? 

iPhone Notes

Many people rely on iPhone Notes for quick and easy password storage. Even though this method is easily accessible, Notes is not designed to store secure information. There is reportedly a significant amount of risk that someone can access your iPhone Notes and compromise your passwords.

It is also possible that you may unintentionally delete an important note, in which case you may have trouble retrieving your critical information. 

Google Drive

Many people have reported storing their Social Security cards, IDs, account passwords, financial information, mortgage documents and more on their Google Drive. Google Drive is generally safe because the information is backed by Google’s encryption, but the platform is not designed to safeguard highly sensitive files. 

Hackers may still be able to find your account password and log in to your account. There is also the risk of phishing scams and malware giving hackers access to your account.

Filing cabinets

The old tried-and-true method is to keep a physical copy of your most important information in a filing cabinet inside a secure location. Unfortunately, physical records are fragile. Not only are they prone to theft, but they’re also at greater risk of getting lost or being destroyed by natural disasters, such as a fire.

Trustworthy: an all-in-one solution?

Trustworthy is one example of a company that offers a higher level of security for your most important information. The company is the maker of The Family Operating System®, an online service that helps people organize, optimize, and protect their important information. 

Trustworthy offers state-of-the-art solutions to help people store their documents with unprecedented peace of mind. The online platform protects sensitive information with  built-in 256-bit encryption, two-factor authentication, SOC2 auditing, and other security measures. Plus, Trustworthy says it goes the extra step to optimize organization and make information retrieval a breeze. 

Learn more about Trustworthy’s document and personal information security solutions here. 

This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.

Photo by Hannah Wei on Unsplash