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The best ways to prevent ID theft

W you’re hether you’re shopping online or through traditional means, eating out or using banking apps, at risk of identity theft. And the problem is not going away anytime soon. It’s time to protect yourself from thieves targeting your bank account or committing tax fraud.

The number of identity theft victims increased to 13.1 million in 2016, up 3 percent from 12.7 million consumers in 2015, according to a 2016 Identity Fraud Survey by Javelin Strategy & Research. The amount stolen decreased 6 percent, though, to $15 billion in 2016 from $16 billion in 2015.

As a cyber-oriented culture, it’s natural to wonder whether and how our daily habits assist hackers in stealing our personal information. Here are a few tips to avoiding identity theft and fraud from Matthew Wright, professor of computing security and director of the Center for Cybersecurity at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Start with shredding

“The first things to do are actually low-tech: shred credit card and banking offers that you don’t want and make sure your physical mailbox is reasonably secure so would-be thieves don’t apply for accounts in your name using old-fashioned paper,” said Wright.

Emphasize email security

Your primary email address will likely serve as your username and means of resetting your password on other websites, so if it’s vulnerable, all of your other accounts will be, too.

Make sure to use an especially secure password and establish two-step verification, typically adding your phone number to your account so the site can text you an additional password for each login.

Sign up for credit monitoring

Credit monitoring is the best way to keep tabs on your credit report, providing peace of mind in the form of alerts about important changes to your file, including potential signs of identity theft. “You can get free credit reports once per year directly from the credit agencies. Ideally, you would get your report from one agency every four months and set reminders on your phone or calendar to ensure that you actually check them,” Wright said.