How to protect your identity while online?

Why to protect your identity online?

As per a report by Symantec, more than 500 million digital identities were stolen in 2015. while fake call scams increased by 200%, ransomware attacks increased exponentially as well. Hackers steal user name and passwords, doesn’t matter if it is Yahoo, Google,Hotmail or corporate accounts, they sell it at a decent price. According to the report, it costs a little more to get into a corporate account — understandably — and a little less to get into a Yahoo, Hotmail, Google and social accounts.

So What Can You Do?

You just have to change your approach the way you interact with things in digital world.There are few simple things you should focus to keep your identity safe.

• Beware of phishing. Never click on a link sent to you via text or email from a stranger. If you get a link from someone you know, first check if that person actually did send it, because they may not even know that they got hacked and have become a font of malware. Assume the worst!

• Be smart about using passwords. Never use the same password for different accounts, and do not keep all your passwords saved behind a single password. Make your passwords complex, long and strong.

• Minimize your exposure. Don’t authenticate yourself to anyone unless you are in control of the interaction. Don’t over-share on social media. Don’t share your identity over phone unless you know the person other side. Safeguard your documents that can be used to hijack your identity.

• Monitor your accounts. Check credit report of your online account regularly. Review transactions, history of major accounts. If possible check last login, location etc.

• Manage the damage. Make sure you get on top of any incursion into your identity quickly and/or enroll in a program where professionals can help you navigate and resolve identity compromises. Change your password immediately using different device. Report the incident to relevant services, service provider, security team etc.

• Use multi-factor authentication where ever possible.  Security is sacrificed for convenience often, but a little extra effort can make a huge difference in saving you identity and a fraud.

• Tighten your privacy settings on social media accounts. Never post anything that will make it easier for a fraudster to guess things about you, because that could compromise any account that’s protected by security questions.