Protect your Wi-Fi:

Free can be costly:

Guard devices:

Choose apps with care:

E-mail alert:

Keep cards safe:

Be wary of calls from banks:

Shield passwords:

Be discreet on social media:

Control offline leak:

Strong intermediary:

NEW DELHI: When Trai Chairman R.S. Sharma dared hackers to harm him by revealing his Aadhaar number on Twitter recently, he may have escaped unscathed. But you may not be so lucky. With data misuse growing rapidly, the RBI , banks and financial intermediaries can only make the system robust at their end and educate the public. “No one can save us if we reveal our own data,” warns Peeush Jain, Head of Retail Banking, Lakshmi Vilas Bank. So, how do we protect our data and in turn, our money?Protecting the connection should be a priority, as most devices are connected through Wi-Fi. Switch off the Wi-Fi when not in use, make a complex password and change it regularly are some of the things you can do. You can also choose to go invisible.Most experts advise avoiding public Wi-Fi. “While you may be browsing normally, attackers may be carrying out financial transactions using your device. Anti-national activities can also be carried out from your device without your knowledge,” says Shivangi Nadkarni, Co-Founder and CEO, Arrka.Install high quality antivirus and anti malware software and avoid free softwares. Always keep your Bluetooth off, when not in use. With almost all OTPs now coming to your mobile, password-protect your phone.Experts advise caution as most data is now leaked through apps. Apps demand permissions and seek access to contact list, camera, sms, location, etc. These apps also mine other people’s data stored in your phone. While you cannot stop using all apps, you can revoke permission given to apps.Guard your email with a strong password that is changed regularly. The second factor authentication is also crucial. As an OTP is generated every time one logs from a new device, thereby alerting against any risk.The next time you withdraw money from an ATM. watch out for cloning devices. Delhi resident Jyotsna Singh was away in Jaipur in March 2018, when ₹50,000 was withdrawn from her account through multiple transactions. An FIR and several interactions with the bank finally got her money back. Most debit and credit cards can be used in any part of the world, posing its own set of dangers. Avoid writing down PIN or sharing it with anyone. Also, never save card details with online retailers.Several fraudsters pretend to call from your bank and siphon off your details, which they then use to clean out your account. Jaipur resident Bhupender Dagur had a running home loan account with SBI when someone called him two days before the EMI was due. He told Dagur that his debit card had been blocked and that would hinder his EMI payment. He asked Dagur for his card details to “unblock” the card. In panic, Dagur revealed his card details to the caller. Within half an hour, ₹50,000 had been debited from his account in five transactions. Despite filing an FIR and complaining to the RBI, Dagur could not recover his money.Several online portals, ticket booking sites, service providers, etc insist on a user name and password. It is difficult to remember all of them. So, keep the language coded when writing passwords. Also, be extra careful so you don’t fall prey to phishing.Revealing critical data like date of birth, home or office address, phone number, etc on social media is a big no no. For example, date of birth is the ‘second password’ used for stock trading accounts in India.Beware that someone who approaches you for your details for a ‘lucky draw’ may be data vendors, looking to sell your details. Shred phone bills, bank statements, boarding passes etc as they may carry a lot of your data.Your data can also get leaked from financial intermediaries, telecom companies, etc. So only deal with the entities that have strong systems in place.