Identity Protection for Everyday Use: Tip-of-the-Day #349

As a new employee at a health company, I’ve been going through rigorous on-boarding and security protocol. In the session focused on privacy and security, the security officer outlined a number of ways to keep one’s identify private, presumably to avoid identity theft. He included using an app called Sudo to mask your actual phone number, creating Privacy cards to limit the exposure of your personal credit cards, using encrypted email like ProtonMail, and using a personal VPN, even on your phone, so that your IP can’t be traced. I found it all fascinating and even found an everyday use for the above-mentioned security measures. Here’s my real world example: 

For anyone living in one of the metros served by MealPal, a lunch solution for the business crowd whereby you place your order by 10:00 am and then pick it up at your preferred time without having to stand in line, this will make sense. When you create an account with MealPal, you create it with your email and your phone number. I had created an account about a year ago with the email address of the last company I worked for and when I left that company, I closed my account. Fast forward four months and I’m now in a position to use MealPal again. I went to the site, created a new account using my new work email address, but when I entered my phone number to verify the account it wouldn’t let me complete the setup. I reached out to MealPal via email and I was told that I must reactivate my prior account, not open a new one. I’ll cut to the chase because obviously I can’t reopen an account with an email address I no longer have access to and I’m pretty sure they were just bent out of shape because I’d been extended the $30 sign up discount (again). So I told them to cancel and forget about it.

Now, using my security officer’s protocol outlined above, all I have to do is use a new email address that I can set up in a flash with ProtonMail, a new phone number I can create with Sudo, and a Privacy card linked to my bank account, but completely masked to the merchandiser. Voila. No more hassle re: having had a previous account and no way to harangue me in the future if I switch jobs again and want to start anew. All of the aforementioned, from email to phone number to privacy card are all burners and new information can be generated on a dime. 

This life is starting to feel very Mission Possible.