Tips for Online Identity Protection
If you are worried about the safety of your personal information online, it is important to understand how to protect yourself from identity theft and how to secure your online accounts. Taking the time now to learn how to protect your details online can save you the money, emotional toll, and time trying to regain control of your digital identity.
Here are a few tips for protecting your online identity:
Use strong passwords and different passwords for every account.
This may seem too much trouble when you consider the number of online accounts most people have these days. However, it is worth considering the damage that can be done to your financial health and online identity if a lot of your accounts were compromised because you used a single set of usernames and passwords.
Use two-factor authentication
This means that you have to enter a code, a text message, or some other number before you are allowed access to an online account. This provides extra security for your online accounts and prevents unauthorized access. Often this form of digital identity verification is offered as an optional extra on accounts – don’t ignore this extra step as it adds a significant level of security to your details.
Use a password manager/organizer
Password managers generate secure passwords for your online accounts and automatically store them in a secure place. These programs keep track of every password for every account and make it easy to switch between different passwords when you need to access different types of accounts or services. A password manager can save time by not having to create complex, complicated passwords anymore and can also help prevent you from forgetting which password has been used for which account.
Don’t send sensitive information by email
Use a secure messaging app instead of sending unsecured messages over email or social media networks. This is especially true if you are planning on sharing passwords as these apps often store passwords in an encrypted manner – meaning that they cannot be read by hackers or other people trying to see what your passwords are.
Limit what you share
Most social media platforms have settings that allow you to limit who can view your personal information and other details. If you want to share details about yourself, find out the privacy policies of the social media account you are using and adjust your privacy settings so that only friends or people with whom you want to share details can see them.
The importance of knowing how to protect yourself from identity theft goes beyond credit card security and protecting your personal information on the internet. At its core, identity theft is a crime of fraud in which one party steals another’s identity for their own personal financial gain or as revenge for a grudge against the individual whose identity has been stolen.
Identity theft is a very serious matter and one which should not be taken lightly. If you are worried that your information might be compromised, don’t hesitate to take full advantage of the identity protection services offered by credit card issuers. You can also use some anti-virus software packages to conduct an audit to see whether your details have been compromised.
