National Data Privacy Week: Florida AG Moody offers tips to protect against identity theft

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — This week is National Data Privacy Week and Attorney General Ashley Moody is reminding Floridians to secure their personal information online.

According to reports, data breaches exposed approximately 22 billion records worldwide in 2022.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

“As hackers and other cybercriminals find new ways to expose and steal personal information, it is important to take proactive steps to guard against their schemes. In recognition of National Data Privacy Week, I’m offering tips to help Floridians become more secure and avoid falling prey to online criminals,” Moody said.

Read: ‘Beyond shocked’: Brevard County teacher accused of trying to meet up with student for sex

Here are some tips to help Floridians keep their data safe:

· Create strong passwords that use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

· Never use the same password across multiple accounts.

· Enable multifactor authentication whenever possible.

· Do not use public Wi-Fi networks to sign-in to accounts or transmit private information.

· Never provide financial or account information in response to an unsolicited email, phone call, text or social media message.

· Be cautious when opening emails or text messages from unknown senders, and never click on links in these messages.

· Keep software updated.

· Only download trusted apps.

· Adjust privacy settings to individual comfort levels for information-sharing.

· Weigh whether the amount of data given to a website or company is worth the promised benefits in return.

Read: Gov. DeSantis addresses controversy after AP African American studies course banned in Florida

For more information on protecting private data, check out: Scams at a Glance: Identity Theft.

According to a news release, Attorney General Moody recently announced a historic multistate action against Google over the tech giant’s location-tracking practices. As a result, the business will pay the states $390 million—including $26 million to Florida.

Read: Legal analyst shares insight after woman shoots husband at Daytona Beach hospital

Anyone who encounters identity theft should contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or visiting MyFloridaLegal.com.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group