Freeze Your Credit

Hopefully you are already using a password manager to keep a separate (long, complex, unique) password for each website you use, updating your software regularly, and not clicking sketchy links on the internet. Another thing you can do¹ to defeat identity thieves is to freeze your credit. This is free and fairly straightforward, but you need to do it separately with each of the big three credit rating agencies:

• Equifax
• Experian
• TransUnion

You don’t need to upgrade to a paid CreditLock or whatever, just search for “credit freeze.” Also, remember that you may need to temporarily unfreeze one or more of the above if you apply for a house or car loan, or get a new job.

Related:

Cybersecurity Best Practices
Data Brokers