Being vigilant is the key to trusting new technology

Turn off the mic: Most phones are sold with the microphone enabled but you can turn it off if you’re worried about who’s listening in. All the info will be in the ‘settings’. It’s not always obvious where but persevere! If in doubt, a search online will give you all the info you need in seconds.

Question big tech companies: Why does Google need to know where you are when you’ve searched for something on your phone? What does Apple want with those reports it keeps nagging you to send? Wanna do a Facebook quiz?

We’re so used to using the big tech companies that we often don’t question what they’re up to.

Be suspicious, don’t click yes on requests for information and lock down your privacy and advertising settings on all these sites.

Make sure kids’ toys are secure: There’s a bumper batch of kids toys that form part of the ‘internet of things’ – an increasingly popular phrase covering things that connect to the internet.

Keep on top of your passwords: If you’re using fingerprint ID or ‘keychains’ to remember your passwords for you, don’t get complacent.

Recent hacks of Ticketmaster, British Airways, Facebook and many other companies have resulted in fraud on people’s accounts.

I’ve seen countless examples of fraud where just one successful hack has given an email, password and card information.

The fraudsters have then tried that combo with every big firm they can think of.

Beat them at their own game by having separate passwords for banking and credit, shopping, social media and other interests. I know it’s a drag, but it will save you a fortune.

If you think you’re data has been misused, Resolver can help you sort out complaints about pretty much anything for free.

Go to resolver.co.uk and email yourstories@ resolvergroup.com to share your experiences.

IN the run up to Christmas, you might be considering buying some traditional gifts – only now they come stuffed full of new technology.Not just smart phones and watches, but fridges that order food for you, toys that interact with the kids and sound systems that chat to you around the house.Technology is great – imagine a world without online shopping or GPS, because it wasn’t that long ago when these things were in their infancy.But lots of people tell me they’re worried about the pace of change and how to own their own data.There have been some stories of tech listening in too, inlcuding a murder case in America where a smart speaker could become an eavesdropping witness.Here are a few tips to help you trust your tech:These can seem like great fun or an entertaining novelty. But bear in mind that opening the door to the internet means a risk – however small – of people exploiting the link.So before you connect up, read the instructions, check with parent’s websites online and don’t leave your child unattended with internet connected toys unless you’re sure they’re secure.