If you’ve noticed an uptick of suspicious friend requests, emails or texts it may be time for an online health checkup. Reports about identity theft and companies tracking your every move might make you wonder if it’s time to tighten things up for yourself. Consumer Reports has some easy tips to keep your online presence secure.
First, CR recommends setting up two-factor authentication, something you might already use with online banking and other more secure sites. It’s an extra layer of protection so that if someone does get hold of your password, they’ll need additional information to access your account.
Next, guard against phishing. That’s when hackers try to get you to give up information about yourself that could help them steal your identity.
Avoid clicking on links in texts or emails, especially if there’s something about the message that seems suspicious.
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It’s nearly impossible to remember every password, but an easy solution is to use a password manager. Consumer Reports’ top-rated password managers are 1Password, Keeper, and Bitwarden.
Consumer Reports also recommends checking out its personalized security planner at SecurityPlanner.org. You can use that guide to get more detailed and personalized advice for the products and services you use.
