It is unfortunate to see so many good people be caught in identity theft due to their online activities. From false advertisements to eye-catching emails that state, "You're a winner!", it is critical to be vigilant in online activity. There are many recommended ways to secure your data and identity in order to avoid being a statistic of data breach and identity fraud.

In websites and emails, it is important to seek out encryptions; this is a method that computers use to convert data and information into codes so that unauthorized users do not have the accessibility to see the account. A typical way to see if a website or an email is encrypted is if there is a closed lock image in front of the URL or in the email details. If it is not encrypted, then the information that is provided is not private and anyone can obtain that access, from credit card numbers to home addresses, and that would not be great to provide that information to random strangers.

Using a strong password is another method of protecting your data access and information. It is important to use a variety of characters such as numbers and special characters rather than just letters. However, even a strong password may not be enough as my husband's Facebook account was hacked regardless of his complicated password. It is best to create a two-step verification through apps like DUO so that when accessing an account, it will also need to pass through your cell phone. This method is very effective since there is the power to accept or deny access with the push of a button.

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