Identity Protection Steps to Take

identity protection is not something that should be a concern only for small portions of the population who are careless with their credit information. Everyone should be concerned with securing their personal information so they do not fall victim to identity theft. In an information-centric economy with new digital devices being developed every day, it has become even more important than ever for every single person to make smart choices and take responsibility for protecting themselves.

Identity Protection Steps

In order to ensure that you’ve done everything possible to secure your identity, be sure you have taken these identity protection steps:

1. Shred mail and documents with personal identifying information. Whether you have old tax returns, statements from your insurance or mortgage company, credit card solicitations, or anything else with your personal details on it, shredding it is the only smart choice. Anyone can get ahold of mail or papers that are thrown away and can use that information to steal your identity.
   
   
2. Be cautious about sharing your personal details, especially your Social Security Number. There are a whole host of tactics used by identity thieves to try to get ahold of information they should not have. Always be wary, and don’t fall victim to the traps set by skilled criminals. If someone calls claiming to be from your bank and trying to “verify” your information, tell them you’ll hang up and call them back (and then use the number you know for your bank). Don’t click on links in e-mails that lead you to sites where your personal info is entered (again, go directly to the site you know), and be cautious that not everything is always as it seems.
   
   
3. Watch your data on public networks and unsecured connections. If you have an open WiFi connection in your home or if you are on a public computer or Internet in a public place like a coffee shop, be very careful about entering any personal account details or information. Unsecured networks are, by definition, not secure. Someone with a little know-how could easily access your data.
   
   
4. Use passwords that are difficult to guess. If you use your name, your kids’ names, or your birthday as your password or your PIN, it can be easy for people to breach the “security” that a password is supposed to provide. After all, it isn’t very hard to find out someone’s birthday, especially in the age of Facebook and social networking.
   
   
5. Take advantage of identity protection services. With a service such as IDENTITY GUARD®, you can keep regular tabs on what is going on with your credit report and your personal information. You can even receive updates if certain triggering suspicious events occur. Services like IDENTITY GUARD® arm you with tools that may help you to fight identity theft more effectively.
   

If you follow these steps, you can significantly increase the chances that your personal information will remain as it should –personal. Don’t wait for identity theft to happen; take the proper steps for identity protection today by securing your information and getting in touch with IDENTITY GUARD® to start your service.