As a branch manager at Day Air Credit Union I talk to a lot of members who feel like they don’t have control over their credit due to data breaches, fraud and scams. To assist members, I have compiled a list of preventative measures that will help safeguard your personal information.
- Guard your information online
- Strengthen your passwords by using a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, numbers and special characters
- Change your passwords monthly
- Clear user ID and passwords especially if using a public computer
- Monitor bank accounts and credit card statements
- Log on and check your account frequently, the sooner you report unusual activity the easier it is to get corrected
- Request new credit or debit cards if they have been used somewhere that had a data breach
- Monitor credit report
- Consumers are entitled to a free credit report from all 3 credit bureaus once a year and can do this using annualcreditreport.com
- Use LifeLock® Identity Theft Protection Services through Day Air Insurance
- You can also put a freeze on your credit for minimal cost with each of the credit bureaus
- Ensure your address and contact information is updated at your financial institution
- Be aware of what you share on social media
- Guard your social security number and personal information
- Secure your phone with a password
- Shred sensitive documents (including address labels)
- Know the signs of “phishing”
- Do not open emails or click on links that you are not familiar with
- Be aware of working from home scans – Don’t wire money without doing your research, check with your financial institution
Implementing these preventative measures into your daily or weekly routine will go a long way to keep your information in the right hands and protecting your online identity.