I tend to talk a great deal about cyber security and new technologies that can keep our personal information safe as it travels across the vastness of the Internet on this site. And while that is most certainly important, I wanted to focus on another important topic: personal safety. Keeping your personal information safe is crucial, but physically protecting yourself is far more important. With the dawn of a new year, I figured I would take this moment to jot down a few quick and helpful tips for staying safe this year.
Keep Your Car Keys Close By When Sleeping
We have all pictured the same scenario: we are home alone, sleeping comfortably when suddenly, a burglar breaks in and is willing to get physical in order to steal your household items. By having your car keys nearby while sleeping, as long as you have a panic button, you can instantly set off your car alarm. This will, theoretically, get the attention of your neighborhood and, eventually, the police.
Keep Your Car Keys In Hand
While we’re on the subject of car keys, they can be very handy in case of an emergency while walking to your car. By carrying your keys in your hand, it makes the process of getting into the safety of your car faster. And if you have the key clenched in between your fingers, with the stem of the key protruding from your knuckles, it can make for a handy weapon in case of a physical attack.
Be Careful of the Information on Your Smartphone
In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to find someone who doesn’t carry a smartphone at all times. These magical devices have undoubtedly taken the world by storm. They now carry some of our most personal secrets, which is precisely why we must be careful with how we use them. A great tip to help protect your personal information is to to never store your home address on your phone. If your phone is ever stolen and broken into, thieves can use that information to then rob your house. Instead, store an address that is very close to your home address, so that you can still use your phone’s GPS system to get close enough to your house, or, better yet, don’t include your home address at all.
Hopefully these tips will offer you a happy and safe new year.