Learn to say NO

Corporate training schools drum into the ears of the trainees , right from the first day of inception not only the importance but also the art of saying NO. A mere nod without realizing the cascading effect in a project could lead to catastrophic consequences making red the faces of the executives facing the client.

People nod for various reasons: For the fear of bosses, not wanting to raise a red flag before others, not giving enough thoughts and it goes on . . . 

In reality, this reluctance to say NO, should not only be checked at the official circles but also amongst friends, family, strangers and public places.

One must be aware of the case of a person lending his mobile phone to a stranger at the airport who wanted to call his waiting cab driver only to realize later that the stranger has made an International call; In another case, the stranger has given this number for a fraudulent online transaction !!

Does this mean that one should not help a stranger, whose appeal could genuine. No, but before extending one's helping arm, one is advised to be prudent and exercise caution by asking for the number and dial it before handing the mobile to the stranger.

With friends too, many are reluctant to say NO though the request seems to be unreasonable, more for the fear of losing friendship, but only to repent later.

In family circles, the NO mostly said with good intention is more often likely to be misunderstood. But then one has to take a call as to which is likely to cause greater heartburn- whether saying NO or the consequences.

Recent case of a man finding his credential being misused to obtain huge loans is a direct aftermath of obliging all and sundry with your personal credentials. The dropping of a slip with your vital data such as email Id and mobile number are enough to trigger creating your profile and a greater search with some technical knowhow could lead the fraudster to create one's identity for further digging into the potential victim's pocket. Better not to drop your details in a box at places like Book fare and Exhibitions, in the fond hope of receiving a lottery promised at the end of the day ! By the by, has anyone won any lottery at such common places? Not to my knowledge.

It was also reported that one need to be cautious in taking photocopies of important documents such as passport, Aadhaar card, pan Card, Ration card etc., as it is believed that some rogue shops have configured their photo copying machines to take an automatic extra copy which will be collected on a daily basis by data scavengers at a nominal cost per piece, but could work to large sums when the numbers increase. This could be avoided by people willing to invest a small amount in a copier at home but then how many could afford and will have the knowledge to do this is a moot point. 

It is also common for many organizations to ask for copies of such important documents as proof of the identity. In such cases, one can write boldly across the face of the document the purpose of sharing along with the date. This could prevent the document being (mis)used at a later date for purposes which were not intended while sharing initially.

Another easy habit that many of the users of digital items have gotten into is to blindly click on 'I Accept' before downloading any App on the mobile or getting into any website without even realizing what are the data that are being requested for and for what purpose! This is akin to and not much different from signing blindly on many pages of a loan application in a bank without reading the various clauses and conditions therein, which could come to haunt them later when they default and deviate from the requested purpose. 

How vulnerable are we could be better understood if one could just type their name in any popular search engine on the web and understand how much their private life is already under public glare. While with the growing methodologies to dig deep into others' pockets, it is nearly impossible to stay completely clear of getting victimized, some basic precautionary measures could help people in preventing their data being misused. Not an expert but will be glad to share some of the precautions I take while welcoming more thoughts to strengthen the cyber Rekha around oneself:

1. Email id, Date of birth, parents' names, Aadhaar card, Passport details, Pan Number/card, voter id and Ration card are data that need to be guarded very well and not to be shared in public under any circumstance
2. Wherever possible, get an acknowledgment for the data shared along with the purpose.
3. Before sharing , smudge the data that are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if Aadhaar card is given as proof of residence, explore covering the date of birth etc.,
4. Please note that the QR code on the Aadhaar card is also a vulnerable data pool that needs to be protected. 
5. While giving such documents , write / print boldly across the document the purpose for which it is shared along with  the date given. 
6. Think twice before sharing your personal details on social network which is open for all
7. Do not drop your private data in any public forum
8. While downloading an App on the mobile or system, make sure that permissions are not granted for accessing or securing your data which are not relevant for the purpose. For instance, if an app for formatting documents is downloaded there is no need to permit access for all the photos and videos in your gallery. 
9. Take time to check periodically your CIBIL score and ensure that no liability, not created by you, are shown there. 
10. Say NO not only to Drugs, Tobacco and Alcohol but also for sharing your digital profile.