I'm halfway to being a techie smart arse but all I will say is;
If you've ever entered a personal detail anywhere on the Internet, it is recorded somewhere and likely to reappear when and where you least expect it.
Use a phone, a text, an email, a Debit Card, a Credit Card, a Bus Pass, a gym membership card and many more items, if it is swiped, scanned or 'read' in some otherway, it is recorded on an electronic database somewhere. Ask, "Who has access to this data, how secure is it, who is it shared with, is it hacker safe?
Who owns what? What do they share your data with.
Personally I make rigorous searcheof the Internet for all my phone numbers, email addresses, my name, my nicknames, car registration number, Passport number, Driving License number and my address. I do this on an old laptop that has been wiped clean and I access the Internet from a public access WiFi router.
Paranoid? Yes! Not for punting reasons though. Reasons more personal.
Being careful can cost a small amount of money and maybe a lot of time but the more you have at risk, the more it is worthwhile.
