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What You Need To Know About Protecting Your Identity

Identity theft can be a difficult issue to deal with. Not only can it be stressful, but it can cause long lasting problems that can take a long time to untangle.

While the prospect of dealing with identity theft may be daunting, the reality is that there are many steps you can take to better protect yourself, and help prevent identity theft from happening. If you are looking for some ways to begin better protecting yourself, here are some things to consider. 

What You Need To Know About Protecting Your Identity

Get Extra Help

When it comes to keeping your identity protected, it may not always feel easy to know where to start first. While there are many different things you can do to help protect your identity, sometimes it is easier to seek out help from experts.

At times, advice from those like Hari Ravichandran can be beneficial as you are working to do the necessary research to protect your identity. Knowing that you need help to solve a problem like identity theft early on can be so beneficial because it can prevent more unforeseen issues in the future from happening.

Consider Your Passwords Carefully

One of the first things you should be mindful of when it comes to protecting your identity online is your passwords and your password security.

Generally, the more that you can diversify your passwords, the safer you will be. This means that you shouldn’t use the same password over and over for different accounts and websites. It also means that you should make sure that each password you create has a mix of letters, both upper case and lower case, as well as numbers and special characters. Doing so makes your passwords more difficult to guess, and your accounts more secure. 

If you want to go the extra mile, change your passwords to every six months or so. Consider also using different email addresses for various accounts to help keep them more secure.

Be Careful About What You Share

Something else that needs to be considered when it comes to protecting your identity online is how much you share, especially in places like social media.

Even though many may think that they are being safe and not sharing too much online, the reality is that many do share important information without even realizing it. To avoid this, it can be a good idea to make sure you have as little personal information available on your social media accounts.

Additionally, it can be a good idea to double-check everything before you post it, to ensure you aren’t sharing anything that could be used to obtain your identity. 

Check Your Credit Regularly

Another good way to stay safe is to check your credit score regularly. By doing this, you can not only have a clearer idea of your financial situation, but you can also be more in tune with any changes that may happen with your finances or credit.

When you check it regularly, you will know as soon as something doesn’t seem right, and you will be able to catch any potential fraud much more quickly. This could ultimately help you to stop any identity theft that is occurring more quickly, or even prevent it in the first place. Identity monitoring is also a good idea so you’re notified ASAP if something changes on your credit report.

Take Time To Review Your Accounts

When you are checking your credit, it can also be a good idea to make sure that you are checking all of your bank and credit card accounts as well.

Although this may seem like a lot to some, the reality is that keeping track of the activity and balances of all your accounts and checking them thoroughly at least once a month can have many benefits. The more familiar you are with your balances and your regular charges, the more alert you will be to any suspicious activity, and the better able you will be to address it and resolve any issues immediately. 

Shop the Smart Way

Even though many may assume that most shopping websites online are safe, the reality is that there are still many that are not.

Although it may not necessarily always be possible to know for sure if a website is completely secure, website security is something you should consider when shopping online. While most large and established businesses may be relatively safe, if you find yourself shopping on a smaller or more niche website, it can be a good idea to look over some of its policies and make sure that you feel safe providing personal information before making a purchase with them. 

Protect Your Computer

Ultimately, one of the best things you can do to protect your identity is to make sure that your computer is secure. Because most have large amounts of personal information on their computer, it can be a big target. By making sure that you buy the right software and take steps to protect your computer, you can help ensure that your information is safe. 

The Bottom Line

Finding the right way to protect your personal information can feel daunting. However, it staying safe isn’t an impossible task. By doing things like seeking professional guidance, creating strong passwords and checking your accounts regularly you can be better able to guard yourself against identity theft. 

About the Author

Nicole Booz

Nicole Booz is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of GenTwenty, GenThirty, and The Capsule Collab. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and is the author of The Kidult Handbook (Simon & Schuster May 2018). She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably hiking, eating brunch, or planning her next great adventure.

Website: genthirty.com