Cybersecurity

Beef up your game against identity theft

Here are five solid ways to prevent your personal information from ending up in the wrong hands.

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Identity Theft Awareness Week started on Monday.

It’s scary how we can be just one click away from handing over our personal information to a stranger who managed to fool us. Let’s not let this happen in 2025 by beefing up our online accounts and habits.

Multi-factor authentication

If MFA is offered, you should be all over it. Once you set it up, you will not just be prompted to enter a password when logging into your account but also a confirmation number that is sent to you by text or email. The Identity Theft Resource Center calls MFA a game changer when it comes to protecting your data.

Check credit often

You certainly want to catch a hack early should someone open accounts under your name. Early detection minimizes credit damage, which allows for a quicker credit recovery. Cybersecurity experts say a credit freeze should be your default setting with the three main credit bureaus being Experian, Transunion and Equifax. You can always thaw it when you apply for financing or a credit card.

Check bank statements

By checking your bank accounts regularly, you’ll detect any unauthorized purchases or transfers.

Up your password game

Rolling with the same password for all accounts and for a long time opens you up to trouble. Change them regularly and try using passphrases with a mix of special characters, capital letters and numbers. Consider using a trusted password keeper.

Be suspicious

Unexpected calls or messages may not be what they claim. Don’t trust them if they ask you for money or to follow a link they sent you. Some clever texts are floating around lately pretending to be from legitimate sources like Amazon, USPS and toll road companies.

A good way to raise awareness of identity theft is to talk about it with the people you love the most. You never know who in 2025 might be vulnerable to a cybercriminal's attempts to take their money and/or personal data.

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