Protecting your identity online is an absolute must! It is getting easier and easier for private and personal information to get exposed online – and that is not something that you want to happen to you.

So how can you protect yourself and your identity online? Here are a few tips.

Use antivirus software, always…

Installing and using a good antivirus software is a must. By doing so, you will no longer be vulnerable to online threats, such as viruses, spyware, ransomware and malware. Most antivirus software will scan for online threats in real time, which is amazing when browsing online!

Avoid falling for phishing scam emails…

If you are not familiar with phishing scam emails, in short, they are emails that are created, designed and sent for one sole purpose – to expose your personal details and steal from you. They look to gain login information, banking information and just about any personal data they can get their hands on. You can check out more about phishing scam emails here.

Make sure you are on the website that you actually intended to be on…

There are a lot of fake websites out there that are exact copies of real websites, for instance; Paypal, Amazon, banking institutions. Always make sure that you check the URL address bar of your browser to ensure that you are indeed on the correct website – before entering in personal info or payment info.

Create strong passwords…

A good rule of thumb, is to create strong passwords and don’t use them for multiple website logins. The last thing you want is for someone to guess your password and gain access to your email, Facebook and banking info – all because they guessed one password!

Look for the little lock icon in the address bar of your browser…

Real websites will typically have a lock icon in the address bar just before the URL. If that is present, you can more than likely rest assured, that the website you are on is deemed safe.

Use a VPN…

Using a VPN is one of the absolute best ways to protect yourself while browsing online! A VPN will hide your IP address and personal information while you browse the web!