When we think of spring cleaning, housekeeping is the first thing that comes to mind, whether that’s washing your windows, organizing your drawers, or having a garage sale. But what we should also be doing is spring cleaning our online presence! In today’s world of cybercrime and spam, it’s important to ensure that you’re being safe online and protecting your data to the best of your ability. Today, we’ll share tips on how you can clean up your online presence and protect your privacy.  

  • Google yourself: Start by searching your name on Google to see what comes up. Look at the first few pages of results and make note of anything that you would rather not have a potential employer see.  

  • Delete or deactivate old social media accounts: Go through your social media accounts and delete or deactivate any that you no longer use or that you would rather not have associated with your name. 

  • Clean up your remaining social media accounts: Make sure your remaining social media accounts are set to private and remove any posts or pictures that may be questionable. Also, make sure your profile pictures and bios are professional. 

  • Complete the privacy checkup on Facebook: Adjust your settings to make sure any private data is set to only be viewable by you or your direct Facebook friends (and not friends of friends or the public). 

  • Look through your friends list and delete anyone you don’t recognize. This will help maintain your privacy if your privacy settings aren’t set to filter out friends of friends from seeing your personal information, photos, and posts. 

  • Remove yourself from people search websites: There are many websites that allow people to search for individuals based on their name, address, or phone number. Remove yourself from as many of these sites as possible if you prefer not to show up on them.  

  • Monitor your online presence: Set up Google Alerts for your name, so you can be notified when new content is posted about you. This will allow you to quickly address any issues that come up.  

  • Maintain a professional online presence: Keep your online presence updated and professional by regularly posting valuable content, engaging with others, and building a strong network of contacts.  

By following these steps, you can take control of your online presence and ensure that it reflects the image you want to present to the world, as well as protect your private information as much as possible. When it comes to Banterra Bank, we’re committed to providing you with a safe and secure space to manage your finances online using Digital Banking. It’s free to sign up. Contact us at 866-BANTERRA (226-8377) to learn more or click enroll now.