Your online reputation matters as much as your offline reputation. Information can spread quickly and can have devastating consequences for your image and safety. Simply Google your name and you might be surprised by what information you find that is publicly available. Take these steps to manage that information:

1. One of the easiest ways to protect yourself online is to not overshare. The less information you share, the lower the risk of it being stolen, manipulated, or shared.

2. It may seem obvious, but do not add strangers on your social media. Hackers will often pose as friendly individuals looking to befriend you online to steal information through your social media accounts.

3. A less obvious way people might be finding information about you online is through location services. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer location tagging services when you share a post on their platforms. This may seem like a minor detail if sharing a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, but a selfie in your home with the location settings turned on now provides your home location to all your social media contacts.

4. Delete your old accounts. No longer using the Twitter account you made in high school? Try to regain access to it and deactivate it. The less information available, the less risk of information being found or shared.

Protecting your personal information and data is very important, and one of the most basic ways to do that is through strong passwords. Here are a few tips about password setting, management, and things to consider.

1.  As tempting as it may be, try to not use the same password for multiple things. Varying passwords will limit the risk of someone accessing multiple accounts if they gain access to one.

2. Passwords and passphrases are different, and passphrases are better. Passwords are typically a combination of a single word with additional characters such as numbers and symbols. Passphrases are a series of multiple words with numbers and symbols. These words should be seemingly random to each other but have meaning and are easy to remember for you. For example, c0ffee54321 is an example of a simple password, but lovecoffeeeveryday19285 takes the word and makes a more complex phrase with a random number sequence which is much harder to crack.

3. Change your passwords often. While this may seem tedious, it will reduce the risk of your information being compromised.

4. Use a password manager. There are many apps and services that provide password management. Do some searching online before deciding which one is best.

5. Avoid names and important dates. Bad actors will often use social media to gain access to information such as important family member names or birthdays which are commonly used in passwords.

6. Longer is better. Typically, industry experts suggest 12 characters at minimum, but more is always better. This is where passphrases can help with reaching the character count.

Technology is rapidly evolving and the desire to keep up with the latest tech trends is strong. But what should you do with your old devices? Here are a few options that are much more beneficial alternatives to simply tossing the device:

1. Recycle or trade-in: Best Buy is the nation’s largest tech recycling retailer and offers a recycling and trade-in program. Their online trade-in calculator will let you know if your old device has residual value and offer credit for recycling it. If your device does not have a residual value, they will still accept it and recycle it properly. Not all Best Buy stores have recycling programs but do offer an online trade-in option.
   
   
2. Donate them: If you have a working cell phone or laptop that you are looking to donate, it is great to check with local shelters to see if someone could use it. Access to technology helps immensely with job searching, education, and communication with loved ones.
   
   
3. Return to the manufacturer: Some manufacturers of technology products offer buy-back and recycling programs for their items. Sony, Samsung, Dell, LG, and Xerox are all examples of companies who provide recycling programs for their products. A full list of companies and recycling locations is available at Electronics Donation and Recycling | US EPA.

When looking to recycle or donate old technology, always remember to wipe your device of any personal data. Factory resetting the device is also recommended.