Cybercrime activities seem to be getting more rampant than ever before. And this has led to most people feeling their identities less protected from stealing. For instance, despite laws and regulations, hackers became smarter. They understand how to bypass various systems at will. So, you have got to look for a way of protecting yourself from these individuals.
There is no need to rack your minds trying to find out how to protect yourself as this post will help you out today. It will reveal some of the simple yet compelling ways through which you can stop hackers from stealing your identity. Best of all is that they are all 100% safe.
1 Avoid Clicking on Too Many Links
Perhaps this is one of the safest ways to prevent hackers from stealing your identity. There are lots of malicious websites out there. Trying to explore or browse through them will do you more harm than good because your identity could be stolen. Try to avoid those websites that always pop up whenever you surf the internet. Sometimes criminals can get your PC infected through sending unsolicited emails. Opening them will only put you in trouble.
2 Using Different Passwords
Do you know that it is a wrong formula using the same password on various websites? The more your passwords vary, the better protection you will have against hackers. It is all about trying to make them guess on which password you make use of in various websites. We have found that over 70% of people who browse the internet don’t use different passwords. Whatever the reasons, the truth is that they can remain to make you prone to identity theft.
3 Using Anti – Virus
In case your system has been running without an antivirus all this while, it is high time you got it yourself before it is too late. Sometimes hackers send infected content to people as a way of extracting details from them without knowing. Once you open such messages, there is a chance that your identity can be stolen. There is only one way to prevent this problem which is using antivirus software. Through such application, illegal content will be spotted and blocked. You can also make use of spyware protection and a firewall.
4 Being Careful
There are lots of people who don’t care about the websites they visit. They can even go as far as sharing details that are confidential in such sites. This is very dangerous and can easily expose you to identity theft. Be very careful about the website that you are visiting and those you share important details with it. It doesn’t matter how reputable or trusted such a website is as you still need to be on guard. Just be vigilant about the accounts or companies you sign up with on these websites as some of them are fraudsters.
5 Block Whenever In Doubt
Have you ever visited those social media websites where you get invitations even from people you don’t know from anywhere? This is one of their baits, and once you fall for it, your details could be extracted. It is a simple strategy that you can use to filter out those people you don’t trust on any of such websites. It is all about blocking them or not accepting their invitations.
6 Using Secured Websites
Most people don’t care about the websites on which they do their shopping. The earlier you realize that this can increase the chances of your identity theft, the better. There are lots of websites that you can do your shopping online. However, some of them aren’t secured enough. So, before attributing the details of your credit card, ensure that unbroken key symbol or locked padlock is displaying in the browser. This will help to give you some assurance that your details are secured.
7 Have Multiple Emails Accounts
Regardless of your online activities, it is never better to own a single email account because it can be easily hacked and your identity will be prone to get stolen. You can get 2 or 3 accounts that you can make use of specifically for various purposes. Avoid using the email account you use in login into social media websites in storing credit card details or bank information as it is hazardous.
8 Avoid Storing Details Online
Most of the time people fall into the temptation of storing their credit card details online. This is only an action that will invite more problems as you could be prone to identity theft. Try as much as you can to store important details offline to protect yourself from any form of hacking. The reason for this is that your account on these websites may be hacked at any time.
9 Social Security Number Protection
You need to ensure that your SSN is always protected. One of the ways to do this easily is to avoid carrying it around in your purse as someone can easily copy it. The best thing to do is keep it in a safe place and bring it out only when necessary. Also, some documents may contain your SSN like a checkbook, health insurance card, and driver’s license. You must ensure that these documents are kept away from third parties and unauthorized.
10 Using Secured Passwords
There are lots of ways to go about making use of secured passwords. One of the most notable of such is ensuring that your passwords aren’t easy to remember. Try to get them mixed up using numbers and alphabets for more protection. Also, you can make sure to change your passwords on a regular basis. Don’t make use of a password beyond six months
