Experts Advise Staying Smart with Personal Information on the Internet
Cybersecurity experts, including Craig Petronella of Petronella Technology Group in Raleigh, NC, share critical advice on protecting personal information online. As data breaches and identity theft continue to surge across the Triangle and nationwide, understanding how to safeguard your digital footprint has never been more important for individuals and businesses alike.
Your Personal Information Is Under Constant Attack Online
Every day, millions of people across the Raleigh-Durham-Research Triangle Park region and around the world unknowingly expose their personal information to cybercriminals, data brokers, identity thieves, and malicious actors who exploit the vast digital ecosystem to steal identities, drain financial accounts, and wreak havoc on unsuspecting victims' lives. The internet has become an indispensable part of daily life, connecting people to banking services, shopping platforms, social media networks, healthcare portals, and countless other applications that require the sharing of personal data. But this convenience comes with enormous risk when personal information is not properly protected.
The scale of the problem is staggering and growing worse each year. Data breaches exposed billions of personal records in recent years, and identity theft has become one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. Residents of North Carolina, including those living and working in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the Research Triangle Park area, are frequent targets because the region's thriving economy and concentration of technology, healthcare, education, and financial services industries create a rich environment for cybercriminals seeking valuable personal and business data. Craig Petronella, founder of Petronella Technology Group and one of the Triangle's most respected cybersecurity experts, has been advising individuals and businesses on personal information protection for over twenty-two years, and the urgency of that mission has never been greater than it is today.
Craig Petronella's Expert Commentary on Protecting Personal Information Online
In this press coverage, cybersecurity experts including Craig Petronella of Petronella Technology Group share their most critical advice for staying smart with personal information on the internet. Petronella's commentary draws on over twenty-two years of hands-on experience protecting individuals and more than 2,500 companies from cyber threats in the Raleigh, Durham, and Research Triangle Park region. His perspective combines deep technical knowledge with practical, real-world guidance that anyone can follow to significantly reduce their exposure to identity theft, data breaches, and online fraud.
Craig Petronella emphasizes that protecting personal information online is not just an individual responsibility but a shared obligation that extends to every organization that collects, stores, and processes personal data. When individuals share information with businesses, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and government agencies, they trust that those organizations will protect their data with the same care they would exercise themselves. This dual perspective, protecting yourself as an individual while demanding that organizations protect data they collect, forms the foundation of Petronella's approach to online privacy and data protection.
The expert advice shared in this coverage encompasses both immediate actions that anyone can take today to strengthen their personal data protection and longer-term strategies for building a comprehensive privacy posture that minimizes risk in an increasingly connected world. For businesses in the Raleigh-Durham-RTP area that collect and handle customer personal information, Petronella's recommendations also extend to the organizational policies, technical controls, and employee training programs that responsible data stewardship requires. Petronella Technology Group provides the professional cybersecurity services that help both individuals and organizations in the Triangle implement these recommendations effectively and maintain strong protections over time.
Essential Strategies for Protecting Your Personal Information Online
Use Strong, Unique Passwords with a Password Manager
One of the most fundamental yet consistently neglected aspects of personal information protection is password hygiene. Craig Petronella advises that every online account should have a unique, complex password that is at least sixteen characters long and includes a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Reusing passwords across multiple sites is one of the most dangerous practices on the internet because a single breach on any site exposes credentials that attackers will immediately try against banking, email, healthcare, and other high-value accounts. Petronella recommends using a reputable password manager to generate, store, and autofill complex passwords, eliminating the need to remember dozens of unique credentials while maintaining maximum security across every online account you possess.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication on Every Account
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the single most effective step you can take to protect your personal information online, according to Craig Petronella and cybersecurity experts nationwide. MFA adds a second layer of verification beyond your password, typically requiring a code from a mobile authenticator application, a hardware security key, or a biometric verification such as a fingerprint or facial recognition. Even if a cybercriminal obtains your password through a data breach, phishing attack, or brute force attempt, they cannot access your account without the second authentication factor. Petronella strongly recommends enabling MFA on all email accounts, financial institutions, social media platforms, healthcare portals, cloud storage services, and any other account that contains personal information. Hardware security keys provide the strongest protection, followed by authenticator applications, with SMS-based codes offering the least robust but still significantly better-than-nothing second factor.
Be Vigilant Against Phishing and Social Engineering
Phishing attacks remain the most prolific method cybercriminals use to steal personal information, and the sophistication of these attacks continues to increase at an alarming rate. Craig Petronella warns that modern phishing emails and messages are often virtually indistinguishable from legitimate communications, using identical branding, logos, formatting, and even personalized details harvested from social media profiles and previous data breaches. Experts advise never clicking links or downloading attachments from unexpected emails, even if they appear to come from known contacts or trusted organizations. Instead, navigate directly to websites by typing the URL into your browser, call organizations using phone numbers from their official websites rather than numbers provided in emails, and be immediately suspicious of any communication that creates urgency or pressure to act quickly. For businesses in the Raleigh-Durham area, PTG provides phishing simulation training that teaches employees to recognize and report these attacks before they compromise personal or organizational data.
Minimize Your Digital Footprint and Data Sharing
Experts advise being extremely deliberate about the personal information you share online. Craig Petronella recommends a principle of data minimization: only provide the absolute minimum amount of personal information required for any transaction, registration, or interaction. Question whether an online form truly needs your date of birth, home address, phone number, or Social Security number, and decline to provide information that is not strictly necessary. Regularly audit your social media privacy settings to limit who can see your personal details, posts, and photos. Remove personal information from data broker websites that aggregate and sell your data without your knowledge. Unsubscribe from email lists and delete unused online accounts that hold personal information you no longer need to share. Every piece of personal data you remove from the internet reduces your exposure to identity theft and targeted attacks by cybercriminals who use publicly available information to craft convincing social engineering campaigns against their victims.
Secure Your Home Network and Devices
Your home network and personal devices are the gateways through which you access and share personal information online, making their security critically important. Craig Petronella advises Triangle-area residents to secure their home Wi-Fi networks with strong passwords and WPA3 encryption, change default router credentials, keep router firmware updated, and consider enabling a guest network for visitors' devices. On personal devices, maintain current operating system and application updates, install reputable security software, enable device encryption, and use screen locks with biometric authentication or strong PINs. Be especially cautious when using public Wi-Fi networks at coffee shops, airports, hotels, and other public locations in the Raleigh-Durham area; use a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet traffic when connected to any network you do not control. Petronella Technology Group helps businesses implement these same principles at an organizational level, ensuring that employee devices and corporate networks are properly secured against threats.
Monitor Your Accounts and Credit for Suspicious Activity
Even with the best preventive measures in place, experts advise maintaining constant vigilance over your financial accounts, credit reports, and online presence. Craig Petronella recommends setting up real-time transaction alerts on all bank accounts and credit cards so you are immediately notified of any activity. Review your credit reports from all three major bureaus at least quarterly, watching for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries, or changes that could indicate identity theft. Consider placing a credit freeze with each bureau, which prevents new accounts from being opened in your name without your explicit authorization and costs nothing. Use identity monitoring services that scan the dark web for your personal information and alert you if your data appears in breach databases. If you discover any signs of unauthorized activity, act immediately by contacting your financial institutions, filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission, and reaching out to a cybersecurity professional like Petronella Technology Group who can help you assess the extent of the compromise and take appropriate protective measures.
Why the Triangle Trusts Craig Petronella for Cybersecurity Guidance
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919-348-4912Personal Data Protection for Businesses and Individuals in the Triangle
The expert advice on staying smart with personal information applies to every individual and organization in the Raleigh-Durham-Research Triangle Park region. For businesses, the responsibility extends beyond protecting your own personal information to safeguarding the personal data of every customer, patient, client, employee, and partner who entrusts their information to your organization. Healthcare practices must protect patient health information under HIPAA. Financial services firms must secure client financial data under various regulatory frameworks. Legal practices must safeguard privileged attorney-client communications. Technology companies must protect user data and intellectual property. Regardless of your industry, Petronella Technology Group provides the cybersecurity expertise and managed services that ensure personal information remains secure across every touchpoint in your organization.
Managed Cybersecurity Services
Comprehensive data protection, threat monitoring, and incident response for Triangle businesses.
Security Awareness Training
Train your employees to recognize phishing, social engineering, and other personal data threats.
Data Privacy Compliance
HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and other frameworks that protect personal information.
Stop Computer Thieves
Craig Petronella's expert advice on keeping computer thieves from stealing vital company information.
The Experts the Triangle Trusts for Personal Data Protection
When media outlets seek expert commentary on protecting personal information on the internet, they turn to professionals like Craig Petronella because his twenty-two-plus years of experience, proven track record, and deep roots in the Raleigh-Durham-Research Triangle Park community make him one of the most credible and authoritative voices in cybersecurity. Petronella Technology Group has protected more than 2,500 companies and maintained a flawless zero-breach (for managed security clients) record for clients under managed security programs, demonstrating a level of expertise and dedication that sets PTG apart from every other cybersecurity firm in the Triangle region.
The reason PTG's expert guidance on personal information protection carries such weight is that it comes from practical, hands-on experience rather than theoretical knowledge alone. Craig Petronella and his team deal with real-world cyber threats every single day, defending clients against the same phishing attacks, data breaches, identity theft schemes, and social engineering tactics that threaten personal information across the internet. This frontline experience informs every recommendation PTG makes, ensuring that the advice is not only technically sound but practically achievable for individuals and businesses at every level of technical sophistication. Whether you need personal guidance on protecting your own data or comprehensive cybersecurity services for your organization, Petronella Technology Group delivers the expertise, the tools, and the proven track record that make the difference between being a victim and being protected.
Online Privacy and Personal Information Protection Questions
What are the biggest threats to personal information on the internet?
The biggest threats to personal information online include phishing attacks that trick users into revealing credentials and personal data, data breaches at companies that store personal information, identity theft through stolen Social Security numbers and financial credentials, malware and spyware that capture personal data from infected devices, social engineering attacks that manipulate people into sharing sensitive information, unsecured public Wi-Fi networks that expose data in transit, and data broker websites that aggregate and sell personal information without consent. Craig Petronella and PTG advise a multi-layered approach to address all of these threats simultaneously.
How can I tell if my personal information has been compromised?
Signs that your personal information may have been compromised include unfamiliar charges on bank or credit card statements, unexpected notifications from financial institutions, new accounts or inquiries appearing on your credit reports, password reset emails you did not request, locked accounts you cannot access, mail from companies you do not recognize, unexpected tax documents or IRS correspondence, and notifications from breach monitoring services. Craig Petronella recommends regularly monitoring your financial accounts and credit reports, and using dark web monitoring services that alert you when your personal data appears in breach databases.
What is multi-factor authentication and why is it so important?
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security method that requires two or more forms of verification to access an account, typically combining something you know (a password) with something you have (a mobile authenticator or hardware key) or something you are (a fingerprint or facial recognition). Experts including Craig Petronella consider MFA the single most effective protection against unauthorized account access because it prevents attackers from using stolen passwords alone to compromise your accounts. PTG recommends enabling MFA on every account that supports it, prioritizing email, banking, and healthcare accounts.
Should I use a VPN to protect my personal information?
Yes, cybersecurity experts advise using a virtual private network (VPN) whenever you connect to the internet, especially on public Wi-Fi networks at locations like coffee shops, hotels, airports, and libraries in the Raleigh-Durham area. A VPN encrypts all of your internet traffic, preventing anyone on the same network from intercepting your data, monitoring your browsing activity, or stealing personal information you transmit. Craig Petronella recommends choosing a reputable, paid VPN service with a strict no-logging policy and strong encryption standards, and using it consistently across all your devices.
How do I remove my personal information from data broker websites?
Removing personal information from data broker websites requires identifying the major data brokers that hold your data, then submitting opt-out requests through each broker's individual removal process. Major data brokers include Spokeo, WhitePages, BeenVerified, Intelius, and dozens of others. The process can be time-consuming because each broker has different procedures and timelines. Craig Petronella advises using data removal services that automate this process across multiple brokers simultaneously, and repeating the process periodically because data brokers frequently re-acquire information from public records and other sources.
What should businesses do to protect their customers' personal information?
Businesses in the Raleigh-Durham-Triangle area that collect customer personal information have a critical obligation to protect that data. Craig Petronella advises businesses to implement comprehensive data protection programs that include encrypting all personal data at rest and in transit, limiting data collection to only what is necessary, implementing strict access controls, conducting regular security assessments, training employees on data handling procedures, establishing incident response plans, maintaining cyber liability insurance, and partnering with a managed cybersecurity provider like PTG for continuous monitoring and threat detection.
Is it safe to use social media, and how can I protect my privacy?
Social media can be used safely with proper privacy precautions. Experts advise reviewing and tightening privacy settings on all platforms to limit who can see your personal information, posts, and photos. Avoid sharing sensitive details like your home address, phone number, birthdate, vacation plans, or workplace specifics. Be cautious about accepting connection requests from unknown individuals. Disable location sharing on posts. Use unique, strong passwords for each social media account and enable multi-factor authentication. Remember that information shared on social media, even in private groups, can be used by cybercriminals for social engineering and identity theft targeting.
What is a credit freeze and should I use one?
A credit freeze prevents new credit accounts from being opened in your name by blocking creditors from accessing your credit report. It is one of the most effective protections against identity theft and is completely free to place and lift with each of the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Craig Petronella strongly recommends that everyone in the Triangle region place credit freezes on their accounts, as it costs nothing and provides powerful protection against one of the most damaging forms of identity theft. You can temporarily lift the freeze whenever you need to apply for legitimate credit.
How can PTG help protect my business's and customers' personal information?
Petronella Technology Group provides comprehensive cybersecurity and data protection services for businesses in the Raleigh-Durham-Research Triangle Park region, including managed security monitoring, endpoint protection, email security, data encryption, access control management, employee security awareness training, compliance consulting for HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and other frameworks, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and incident response services. PTG has protected over 2,500 companies with zero breaches and helps organizations implement the same expert advice that Craig Petronella shares in press coverage like this.
What should I do immediately if I think my identity has been stolen?
If you suspect your identity has been stolen, Craig Petronella recommends taking immediate action: place fraud alerts and credit freezes with all three credit bureaus, file an identity theft report at IdentityTheft.gov, contact your financial institutions to freeze or close compromised accounts, change passwords on all online accounts starting with email and banking, file a police report with your local Raleigh, Durham, or Triangle-area law enforcement, review your credit reports for unauthorized accounts, and contact a cybersecurity professional like PTG at 919-348-4912 for guidance on securing your digital presence and preventing further damage.
Protect Your Personal Information with the Triangle's Trusted Cybersecurity Experts
Whether you need personal guidance on protecting your online privacy or comprehensive cybersecurity services for your business, Petronella Technology Group is ready to help. With over twenty-two years of experience, 2,500+ companies protected, and a zero-breach (for managed security clients) record, Craig Petronella and the PTG team deliver the expert protection your personal information deserves. Schedule your free cybersecurity assessment today and take the first step toward a safer digital life.
Petronella Technology Group • Raleigh, NC • 919-348-4912