When I think of security, the first thing that comes to mind is hackers online. I worry about compromised passwords, credit cards, accounts, and protecting servers. I already have several best practices to stay safe online to combat digital security.
Digital Security Tips
- Unique passwords
- Use a password manager (1Password, Lastpass)
- Always enable Multi-factor authentication
- Firewalls
- VPN
- Up-to-date software
When it comes to physical security, I already do the standard things like locking the doors, security cameras, etc. But for the most part, I did not worry much about being robbed. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I were hiking in the mountains. We parked in a safe parking lot for a short 2-mile hike. We were gone about an hour and returned to our car window broken and my wife’s purse and laptop stolen. We immediately called the police and credit card companies. Due to being in the mountains, cell phone service was poor, and it took a while to cancel everything. In the meantime, the thief had made it to the closest Walmart and bought over $2,000 worth of prepaid Visa cards. They were experienced and planned to get as much untraceable money before the cards were reported stolen. After countless hours on the phone with the bank, insurance, and police, I wanted to share some tips to help you in this situation.
Physical Security Tips
- Don’t ever leave your valuable items in the car, especially your wallet/purse
- Switch to Apple Pay, Google Pay, Walmart Pay, etc., to limit the risk of stolen cards
- Enable Find My software on laptops, iPhones, and iPad and make sure you know how to lock them remotely
- Freeze your Credit Agency Accounts (Equifax, Experian, and Transunion)
- Get the app for your credit cards on your phone.
- Set up alerts for your credit cards.
- Learn how to lock your credit cards via their app.
- Lock any cards that you are not using.
- When traveling, carry as few credit cards, etc., as possible.
- Make an Inventory of everything in your wallet/purse in case it’s stolen.
- Make a “Financial Summary” of all your accounts, credit cards, and checking accounts, and store them in a safe place. Have a plan of what you would do if your wallet/purse were stolen.
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