Stay safe kids...

Nearly half of Americans have their data compromised every year, ranging from their social media passwords to personal identities and bank details. In response to the Facebook Cambridge Analytica scandal, users and companies are now deleting their accounts and pages in a frenzied attempt to regain their digital privacy. To navigate the complex terrain of online safety we sought out Dr. Eric Cole – a security advisor for Bill Gates and President Obama, CEO of cybersecurity consulting firm, Secure Anchor, and the Author of practical online security manual, Online Danger.

Some key learnings from our time with the Doc.

# 1: There is no delete button.

# 2: Your two most dangerous applications? E-mail and Web Clients. However, according to Dr. Cole: “95% of malicious code is for Windows” and therefore won’t run on another operating system. For Windows users, check your emails on your iPhone.

# 3: Hackers nowadays prefer to steal your money by draining small charges from you over an extended period. Look out for those mysterious $10 charges on your bank statements. Or, try an authenticator service [i.e., Apple’s Two Factor Authentication] for your credit card of social media accounts.

# 4: For those who are gunning to be part of the PC Master Race, there’s hope. Dr. Cole’s prescription: Run a setting for Windows Pro called Hyper-V – a surprisingly easy fix that allows you to run your computer on a closed-circuit and keep hackers out.

# 5: On Facebook: There’s not much you can do to turn back the clock on your misinformed younger self – other than deleting your bad posts [ see Rule #1 ] and praying for the best.