Everything You Need to Know to Monitor and Protect Your Online Identity

Protecting your information online can be the difference between being in great financial standings and falling victim to ID thieves. 

Here’s everything you need to know to protect your identity online.

What Is an Online Identity?

Your online identity can be defined as every piece of personal and identifiable information that appears on the internet. This includes information like your:

• Name and aliases;
• Email address;
• Physical address;
• Date of birth;
• Phone number;
• Bank details;
• And even profiles created on third-party platforms. 

The idea is that the details you provide online showcase your preferences, personality, interests, behavior, and physical features in real life. 

That said, it’s important to note that your online identity has a functional purpose: it can help companies, and platforms verify you are who you say you are.

3 Ways to Check If Your Online Identity Is Safe

It’s important to learn how to verify that your online identity is safe. 

There are many ways to review your details, but here are some general steps you can follow to spot unauthorized accounts.

#1. Review Your Credit Report

Your credit report shows all the credit lines opened in your name. 

Depending on your location, you should be able to request a credit report from the different bureaus for free at least once per year. 

So, make it a tradition to request this credit report once per year and ensure that you recognize all credit lines. 

#2. Keep an Eye Out for Suspicious Activity

You don’t have to wait until your yearly credit report review to take action.

If you notice suspicious activity like random verification texts and phone calls about credit lines you didn’t request, it may be best to review your credit early. 

#3. Check Social Media Platforms for Clone Profiles

Many banks and financial institutions use social media to verify their customers. 

Fraudsters and cybercriminals are also aware of this, so it’s common for these criminals to create clone profiles and use them during identity verifications. 

Simply paste your name into the social media platform search bar and see if any other profiles with your picture and data pretend to be you. If you find any, report them immediately.

Tips to Protect Your Online Identity

There are more than 1.3 million cases of identity theft every year in the US alone. Let’s go over a few tips to minimize the risk of falling to ID thieves. 

Access the Internet Through an Encrypted Connection

Connecting to the internet without encryption means that anyone can intercept the messages being transmitted to and from your device. 

If you access via an encrypted connection, criminals won’t be able to see the information you send or receive. 

There are many providers out there, but make sure to find a reliable VPN service that allows you to get powerful protection at a budget cost. 

Avoid Sharing Passwords and Other Credentials with Anyone

There have been cases where ID theft was perpetrated by individuals close to the victim. 

Hence, your best bet to protect your data is to avoid sharing passwords, access codes, and similar details with anyone under any circumstances. 

Enable Two-Step Authentication

Two-step authentication is a secure format that requires an individual to complete two verification steps before logging into an account. 

Also known as two-factor authentication of 2FA, this feature is available in banking apps, social media networks, and other online platforms.

Avoid Identity Theft

The FTC reported a year-to-year increase of 77% in financial damages caused by identity thieves. Here are some tips to protect yourself against this type of crime.

• Freeze Your Credit: you can pause your ability to open new credit lines by contacting the different credit bureaus serving your territory. 
• Keep a Close Eye on Phishing Attempts: social engineering plays a huge part in ID theft, so keep an eye out for phishing and similar attacks.
• Take Care of Your Physical Assets: fraudsters can get key details from things like physical mail, so protect your physical assets as much as your digital ones. 

Conclusion

As a responsible internet user, it’s up to you to safeguard your sensitive information and make sure unauthorized people are not using it. 

If you review your credit report, monitor changes in your score, and follow other tips we listed above, you should be able to stay safe. 

If you want to take extra precautions, freezing your score, protecting your physical assets, and keeping an eye on phishing attempts will help you keep your identity away from deceitful individuals.