Deputies from the attorney general’s Consumer Protection Bureau are visiting area high schools to convince more teens to protect their personal information when they go online.
“Your personal information is another form of valuable property and currency,” said Attorney General Aaron Ford. “You won’t leave your wallet or smartphone lying around in the open for someone to take. Youth personal information is just as important.”
The bureau began the program after being informed by advocates for online safety that some 75 percent of teens are willing to share personal information online.
Ford said personal information is any information that can be tied to a specific individual such as an address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security or driver’s license number. The list, he said, also includes email usernames and passwords.
Experts urge all people including teens to avoid sharing any of those things with others in addition to common security questions such as your pet’s name or mother’s maiden name.
They urge strong passwords containing a phrase, numbers, symbols and a combination of upper and lower case letters to make them more secure.
They caution people to be suspicious of free stuff and avoid downloading anything not from a trusted source, and don’t click on links in messages from unfamiliar sources.
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