The odds of becoming the victim of identity theft in the United States is one in fifteen. Cybercriminals continue to enhance their skills, seeking new, increasingly clever, and technologically advanced ways to access personal financial information―in particular, artificial intelligence (AI) has given scammers new tools for creating convincing messaging and automating attacks.

As quickly as technology improves, so do the risks of identity theft. That’s why it’s important to be proactive and protect yourself and your finances from cybercrime. Here’s a look at some steps you can take to improve your odds.

Value your personal information.

One of the most significant personal information security issues is how we decide to use and share our information. Sharing names, phone numbers, addresses, emails, and even credit card numbers over a cell phone in a public area or online has become commonplace, barely an afterthought. It’s important to understand that every interaction we have could be a potential avenue to our personal information. The biggest enemy to protecting personal information is often complacency or disregard for the value of our information. No matter who you are or how much money you have, scammers can make use of your personal details.

Phishing, vishing, smishing scams and confidence schemes often rely on you engaging with a scam directly. It’s important to understand that in some instances, willingly providing your information or credentials could leave you liable for any financial loss―your financial institution may have little recourse for recovering your funds.

All of your personal information has value and can even be sold on the dark web. Taking personal responsibility for your security and treating your personal information as valuable is your first line of defense against identity theft.

Protect your privacy on social media.

Minimizing how much sensitive data you share online is a good front-line defense against fraud and identity theft. Social media can be a key access point for personal information including:

• Current or past info on where you live or work
• Names of family, friends, or pets
• Any number of data points commonly used for security questions, such as birthdate, mother’s maiden name, and more

You may even share your contact info publicly, which may allow impostors to contact you claiming to be your bank, a charity, or the government—opening new opportunities for scammers to trick you into sharing sensitive information.

Ultimately, many people can be overly forthcoming with personal information over social media. Take the time to ensure that your privacy settings are up to date, delete unused social media profiles, and strongly consider which details to share about yourself online.

Adjust your browser settings.

You can also enhance your privacy online by adjusting browser settings. One way to gain greater privacy is by browsing in incognito or private mode. This can be done on laptops, tablets, and even cell phones anytime you’re using an internet browser. Private browsing prevents your browser from storing data about your web activity. While browsing incognito or in private mode doesn’t hide your activity from your internet service provider, or your employer when on a business-owned network, and will not prevent malware from tracking your activity, if your physical device is stolen or hacked, a criminal will not be able to access data through your browser.

Use a virtual private network (VPN).

Those seeking a higher level of online privacy and anonymity should consider using a VPN. This creates a private network from a public internet connection. As opposed to using the internet from a single, more trackable IP address, the user’s IP address is constantly changing by using different servers.

A VPN is a significant improvement in privacy over any public network. It provides an encrypted conduit to connect to the internet while protecting your identity and data. It hides where your mobile or other internet-connected device is located. Using a VPN when accessing the internet hides your internal protocol address (IP address), blocks identification of your location, and even your browser history. This allows sharing information on any public network to be more private and secure.

There are hundreds of VPNs available to choose from. Finding the right VPN for you starts by identifying your needs and the qualities of the VPNs you are considering. Make sure the VPN is compatible with all of your devices and that it has a user-friendly interface. One final note on using VPNs―some secure sites, such as your financial institution, may have automated security precautions that block traffic outside of the U.S.—when adding a VPN for security, keep it set in the U.S. to avoid potential blocks on highly-secure websites.

Avoid unsolicited and suspicious links.

Far too many identity theft incidents, online fraud cases, and financial security risks online are initiated by the victim. Phishing links through email are a common culprit. Clicking these links might install malware, or seemingly legitimate sites might collect personal info or login credentials. Many of these emails may appear authentic, but before clicking on any link or submitting personal information online, compare the details with the contact info that you have on file, or research the source of the email via your preferred search engine, ensuring that you use the contact info provided by an official secure website.

Consider mobile device security.

Keeping your mobile device secure starts with adding timed lock codes, biometrics, and strong passwords to connected apps. Only connect to a secure Wi-Fi network or VPN when possible, and be cautious when downloading content to your phone. You can also add an anti-virus app to your phone for increased security. Finally, many security issues are corrected by the most current operating systems. Always make sure you are using the latest OS available.

More ways to secure your identity.

OnPoint diligently protects the information and financial data of our members and encourages members to take steps on their own to protect themselves from fraud, identity theft, and other cybersecurity threats. Online security benefits us all and is well worth the time, focus, and effortFor even more ways to protect yourself from fraud, identity theft and financial loss, download The OnPoint Guide to Personal Cybersecurity.