Choose Privacy Week with SingleHop.com

Who is SingleHop?

SingleHop is a leading global provider of hosted IT infrastructure and Cloud computing. They are pioneering the global Cloud IaaS movement by enabling SMBs and service providers in the design, deployment, and management of a wide range of IT solutions. Their proprietary automation platform allows organizations to quickly migrate or deploy workloads in the Cloud. Over the last decade, their unique blend of automation and service has made them the platform of choice for thousands of clients worldwide. By integrating their secure global data center footprint, their robust remote management toolkit, and their industry leading Bill of Rights SLA, they help clients manage their systems while eliminating their capital expenditures.

If you're anything like me....that is A LOT of big words thrown around in your skull!!  :-)

In a nutshell....SingleHop wants to protect you and your privacy as an individual or as a company.  In light of the recent Heartbleed bug, and to celebrate Choose Privacy Week from May 1-7 (um....I am a LITTLE behind), they're running a company-wide initiative to educate people on the importance of online safety and privacy concerns.  THAT, my dear Nebraska Hockey Mom friends....is where I come in!

What are some of the things that you would NEVER consider sharing online?  Comment and let me know!  I have a top three list of things I would NEVER consider sharing online:

(let me just say here real quick...of course it is situational.  I would never share my address unless it was with the Fed Ex company sending me chocolate, flowers or hockey gear).

1)  My personal information...address, phone number, social security number, etc.

By sharing that info I am opening up a TON of possibilities for people to steal my identity, break into my house, and even if it is just my phone number, or even just a partial address...."bad guys", just need a couple pieces of the puzzle to act.

2)  Any passwords.

If you are like me, you have a handful of passwords that you use interchangeably.  DON'T let ANYONE know even ONE of them.  AND DON'T for the love of hockey, use obvious passwords!!  Don't use your birthday, don't use your kids names....make it difficult...put it in another language....whatever you have to do to make it difficult!

3)  NEVER let Facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest (and other social media outlets) know when you are out of town!!

Announce when you come home that you are gone.  I admit...I struggle here.  I like to post pictures everywhere I go...not only on social media, but my blog.  I try to be careful with who can view them, but I am not perfect....don't go out on facebook and say, "I'm leaving tomorrow for a one week excursion to the British Isles".....you might as well say...."and my garage code is....."

How do these breaches make my family and I more vulnerable?  Anytime there is info out there about you, it is just one more piece of the puzzle for someone who wants to steal your identity...or just hack into your computer.  You may think you are innocently putting a simple picture in front of your house.  But did you wonder if maybe your address showed in the picture?  You may think that you are being smart and not telling anyone when you go on vacation, but did you think about that time 3 months ago when you posted that you were going to Florida over Spring Break?  Simple things like that.  You probably think "Who has the time to search for that stuff?"  But common criminals have all the time in the world.  THAT is their job...to find flaws....to find those puzzle pieces and put them together.

Concerned yet?  Go to  http://www.singlehop.com/cloud-hosting.  I think you might be happy that you did!

*I was given no compensation for this post, just my honest opinion on how to keep my readers safe*