When it comes to important, personal documents such as credit card or bank statements, any account record or even personal checks, you should consider burning or shredding those documents instead of throwing them in the trash.

Social media can be a great way of keeping in touch with friends and family and sharing pictures, however; it can also be a prime spot for thieves to snag key pieces of information about you in an effort to steal your identity. Avoid posting personal information such as birthdays and phone numbers.

The next time you’re sitting at your local coffee shop, preparing to pay some bills or make a social media post about your birthday celebration, consider waiting until you are home and on a private wifi network.

Consider using a reputable computer protection product such as Norton Security Online to ensure your computer is not susceptible to hackers, viruses, and spyware.

Keep a watchful eye on your credit card and bank account statements for suspicious activity. If you do happen to find something odd, report it immediately.

If someone is trying to steal your identity, make their job impossible by keeping strong passwords to all of your accounts. While it may seem easier to recall them quickly if they are all similar and connected to you in some way, experienced hackers and identity thieves have computer programs that can run through combinations of letters, numbers, and passwords to quickly crack your password or pin. You can also use a secure password manager like LastPass Premium to create strong passwords and remember them for you.