Protect yourself

Protecting Personal Information from Cyber Threats

Certain online scams, such as phishing, attempt to trick people into sharing sensitive personal details. These attacks often appear as messages or emails that seem trustworthy but are designed to collect personally identifiable information (PII). PII is any type of data that can identify a specific individual and may be used by cybercriminals to access accounts or misuse private information.

This section focuses on practical steps families can take to protect both parents’ and children’s personal data.

Common examples of personally identifiable information include:

• Full name

• Home address

• Email address

• Phone number

• Social Security number

• Date of birth

• Account details such as usernames and passwords

• Demographic information linked to a specific person

• School or educational records

Tips to Avoid Phishing and Stay Safe Online

You can reduce the risk of phishing attacks by practicing safe online habits. The following steps can help protect you and your child:

• Take a moment to carefully review messages that seem unusual or suspicious.

• Avoid clicking links in unexpected emails or text messages. Instead, visit the company’s official website directly and log in from there.

• Check that any web link or URL matches the legitimate website before opening it.

• Use preview features in email services like Outlook to review attachments before downloading them.

• Confirm that a website is trustworthy before entering personal details, making purchases, or relying on its information.

• Be mindful about what you share online and practice safe communication habits.

• Always sign out of accounts when using your device, especially on shared computers.

• Create strong, unique passwords for each website or application.

• Enable additional security features such as multifactor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA).

• Use parental control and security settings to help protect children online.

• Report suspicious emails, messages, or online activity when you encounter them.

Developing these habits can help families better protect their personal information and reduce the risk of online scams.

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