Follow tips to surf internet safely

Do you know what it takes to be safe online? You probably connect daily to get information, shop, socialize or work. Every time you go online, you need to avoid the risk of theft or fraud. Here are some tips to use while visiting the Social Security website and the other websites you use.

• Use strong passwords: Strong passwords have at least eight characters and include capital letters, numbers and non-letter characters. These passwords make it harder for someone to hack your account.

• Don’t recycle passwords: Although, it requires effort to think of new passwords constantly, it provides safety when you do. What if you use the same password for every site and you lose your password? If someone finds it, they could get access to all your accounts. Many people choose to reuse — don’t be one of them.

• Take advantage of multifactor authentication: Many websites offer the option to use a second factor — or method — in addition to just a username and password to ensure that only you access your information. Using more than one factor to establish identity makes it harder for someone to get into your account and steal your personal information. Social Security now requires multifactor authentication to access a Social Security account. Customers choose whether to receive a one-time security code to either their phone or email in order to create a new account or sign in to their account. Consider using multifactor authentication whenever it’s offered to protect your information.