A best practice to protect your identity is to protect your Social Security number by not carrying the card with you, be cautious about phishing attempts, use strong and unique passwords for all your accounts, be careful about what you share on social networks, and shield your computer and smartphone with strong passwords and security software. Additionally, checking your statements regularly for unauthorized activity and monitoring your credit reports annually help catch identity theft early.
Key practices include:
- Never give out personal information unless you initiated the contact.
- Use different, strong passwords containing letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Limit sharing of personal details on social media.
- Use firewall, antivirus, and spyware protection on devices.
- Use secure websites with "https" before submitting personal info.
- Shred documents with personal information.
- Monitor financial statements and credit reports frequently.
These steps help prevent identity theft and protect personal identity effectively.
