Player Safety: Protecting Your PII

Written By: ChristianM.0498, Jarnolus, Hartlam / Graphics By: Riszt

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Personal Identifiable Information, or PII for short, is sensitive information that essentially can link your online profile with you in the real world. Think of yourself online as someone who is undercover or even a superhero in disguise; no one should know the real you behind your account on Habbo. There are multiple different things that could be considered PII, such as your real full name, where you live, your telephone number, and so much more, so it’s important to recognize what is considered PII and therefore a risk to your real identity.

Some things might sound like PII, like your first name or the continent you live on, but most of the time there might be hundreds of thousands of people named “Tom” who live in America. If considering what might be PII and what might not be, put yourself in the shoes of someone wanting to do malicious things. What information would I need from a Habbo in order to know exactly who they are?

There are several types of people or entities that might be interested in your PII.

Type #1: Identity Thieves
These individuals use your PII to impersonate you, often for financial gain, but they can impersonate you online as well. This could lead to them bringing down your reputation, alienating your friends and family, or otherwise trying to gain from your social status.

Type #2: Hackers
Hackers can and might use your PII to gain access to your online accounts. Think about your social media accounts, email accounts, and even banking accounts. This is dangerous, as when they get into these accounts, they can do whatever they want. You could seriously suffer financially in this scenario.

Type #3: Scammers
Scammers might use your PII to trick you into giving them money or information. They could threaten you into giving them something, so your PII won’t be shared publicly online – this is known as blackmail.

It’s important that we protect our PII. The most important reason is to make sure that nobody can steal your identity and impersonate you. If this ever happens, all involved parties will be negatively affected. It is also very important to maintain your privacy. Therefore, it is always important to make sure that you protect your personal information.

Protecting your personal information is very important, even when you think it isn’t as important. People can do loads of things with your personal information, and most of the time you won’t benefit from that. This is why we really want you to protect your personal information, and the top tips are the following:

• Tip #1: Make sure you enable Two-Factor Authentication
  Two-Factor Authentication, in short 2FA, adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of identification. This is very important in the case someone is trying to hack your account; it makes it a lot harder for them to get in your account and get all your personal information.
  
• Tip #2: Make sure you use Secure Networks
  Wherever you go online, make sure you have a secure network if you are accessing sensitive information or doing a transaction. Avoid using public networks in that case. Using a VPN could help a lot, because this creates a virtual personal network. However, there are a lot of VPNs, and not even all VPNs are great, so do good research before you are going to use or even buy a VPN.
  
• Tip #3: Be aware of Phishing Scams
  Always be wary of unsolicited communications that are asking for your personal information. Never, and with this I mean NEVER, click on links or download attachments from unknown sources – and even watch out when a friend is sending you a link or download attachment. They could have been hacked, which happens a lot on Discord.
  
• Tip #4: Use Privacy Settings
  All Social Media and most games have certain privacy settings you can review and use. Make sure that you limit the amount of personal information you share publicly. This makes it harder for someone to find you on the internet, which helps with keeping your personal information safe.
  
• Tip #5: Data Sharing is dangerous; don’t do it too much!
  Be cautious about who you share your personal information with and why it is needed. If it’s not necessary, don’t share your personal information. You never know who is on the other side of that message – someone you consider a close friend could use this information against you. What might seem harmless, like your brother’s name, the school you went to as a child, or your place of work can all be used to impersonate you online. Exercise extreme caution when sharing personal information online.

If your PII is compromised in the real world, you should take immediate action to help protect yourself. Immediately, you should change your passwords for all your accounts. Start with your online banking account information, email addresses, or anything else that could put you in financial or otherwise harmful situations. After you change your passwords, you should then enable 2-Factor/Multi-Factor Authentication (2FA/MFA), if not already enabled, on all available accounts.

Afterward, try to take any mitigation steps possible for the accounts where the PII became compromised. If information is posted online, try to have the company take it down and explain your situation. A lot of companies have situations like this forbidden in their terms and conditions and are more likely to cooperate with you on protecting your PII.

If you encounter a more severe situation with your PII being compromised (i.e., blackmailing or threats), make sure to contact the police immediately. Ensure you collect all potential evidence and validation for your claims so they can be legally addressed. Hopefully this never happens to you, but you should ensure to follow all proper precautions so you do not allow your PII to become compromised.