Five Ways To Avoid Identity Theft... |
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Five ways to avoid identity theft
1. Use secure websites.
Whenever you need to type personal information or make financial transactions
online, make sure you’re using a secure site. Look for websites that begin with
an “https” prefix (not just “http”) and/or a lock symbol to help ensure a
website has security features.
2. Don’t click on questionable links. One of the biggest threats to
cybersecurity is malware, which damages or disables computers. You can
unknowingly download malware by clicking on suspicious links and pop-up
advertisements, or by opening suspicious email attachments. There are many types
of malware, including viruses, adware, ransomware, and spyware. This malware
could infect your computer, spread to other computers, show you unwanted
advertisements, lock up your device, and even capture personal information
stored on your device. When in doubt, don’t click on links or open attachments
that may be suspicious, even if they come from someone you know.
3. Use hard-to-guess passwords.
Establish a complex, unique password for each online account you access. Do not
use easy-to-guess passwords, such as your birthdate or name. To create a strong
password, consider using a unique combination of upper and lower case letters
and random numbers. Include special characters such as an asterisk (*) or
ampersand (&).
4. Don’t carry your Social
Security card in your wallet or purse. Instead, keep your Social Security card
and other important documents in a secure place. Also, don’t carry around extra
credit cards, debit cards, checks, or other sensitive information that you don’t
need for a particular outing.
5. Shred sensitive documents
you no longer need. Before getting rid of documents that contain personal
information, such as bank account or medical information, shred the documents so
that other people can’t access the information. Don’t simply throw the documents
in the trash, where someone else could find them.