What Are The Best Ways For Keeping My Family Safe From Identity Theft?

Thanks to data breach after data breach, online security and identity theft are at the forefront of most adults’ minds. Most of us work pretty hard to keep ourselves safe online.

We log out of public computers after using them. We create different usernames. And we change our passwords regularly. We even resist the urge to scrawl them down on sticky notes next to our keyboards.

But considering how hard we work to protect our own privacy online, our whole family might not be as safe. In fact, when it comes to identity theft, most of us haven’t given a second thought to other family members.

Specifically, our children and our aging parents are susceptible to identity theft. Here’s everything you need to know about identity theft and the steps you can take to keep your household safer today.

What is Identity Theft Exactly?

Identity theft happens when someone steals your identity. Thanks to the Internet, this has become increasingly common. Last year alone there were 1,579 data breaches.

If your identity is stolen through a data breach, phishing, malware, or another method, identity thieves may use it to commit identity fraud.