Living in a world that’s entirely connected to technology has made it easier for your financial and personal information to become available to people that may have malicious intentions.

Conversely, this same worldwide connection has made it harder to protect this precious information, keeping it out of the wrong hands. From dumpster diving to fraudulent emails trying to trick you into giving up valuable information, thieves use many different techniques to steal your private finance data. While it’s near impossible to say your information will never be stolen, there are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of ever becoming a victim.

Thieves aren’t always strangers. More than half of all reported identity theft cases are committed by someone the perpetrator knew. To reduce your risk of identity theft whether online or off, protecting your personal and financial information is essential. Some effective ways to protect yourself include:

• Storing and disposing of personal information securely (especially your Social Security number).
• Asking questions before sharing personal information with anyone else.
• Maintaining security on your electronic devices for online use (and in the event of the device itself being stolen).
• Keeping paper copy materials safe at home.

Securing Information Offline

Take the first step in protecting your information by keeping financial documents and important records in a safe, locked place at home. Never carry too much personal information with you. When you go out, only take what you need: identification, debit or credit cards. Then, all of your information won’t be easily stolen if someone were to take your purse or wallet while you’re out.

Be sure always to leave your social security card and medical cards at home unless it’s absolutely necessary. When you do need them, at the doctor’s office, for example, ask what measures they will take to safeguard your information.

A mailbox with a lock quickly ensures no one can take anything with personal information that may have been mailed to you like bank statements, insurance statements, or a book of checks you just had delivered.

The postal carriers can deposit the mail into the box through a slot, but no one can remove anything from the box without having a key. If you’re mailing something out that may contain personal information, take it directly to a post office or postal service depository mailbox, as they’re less likely to be broken into.

Any old receipts, credit offers, physician statements, insurance forms, bank statements, checks, paycheck stubs, expired credit cards, or anything else with personal information printed on it should be carefully disposed of. Using a shredder or, at least, tearing up these documents will keep you safe from anyone that might come across the documents after you’ve thrown them away.

When choosing a pin number for your debit or credit cards, never use anything someone may be able to find. You should never use any variation of your birthday or Social Security number as these may put you at risk of identity theft. In order to keep your pin number a complete secret, don’t write it down or tell anyone what it is. Choose a number you won’t forget that no one else can produce.

Securing Information Online

Simply knowing who you’re sharing your information with and being aware of any potential imposters can save you a lot of time and heartache. Never give out any information on the internet unless you know exactly who the company is and what they need the information for. If you don’t know if a company is legitimate, try searching online for the company name. From their website, you can contact customer service to verify they do indeed need the requested information.

By keeping your computer browser and devices secure, you can guard your online transactions. This can be achieved using anti-virus and spyware technology, encryption software to scramble the information sent over the internet, reading privacy policies on websites to see how they will use, share, and safeguard the information, and using strong passwords (with no personal information in them) to establish safety.

Try thinking outside the box when choosing a password and come up with something no one would ever be able to guess. For example, maybe you love going to the beach. Your password could be “TbisGR8&iW2go” or “the beach is great, and I want to go”. By using a variation of both uppercase and lowercase letters combined with numbers or symbols, you will have created a very strong, secure password that is difficult to crack.

While using Wi-Fi on a public wireless network either at a coffee shop, library, airport, or any other public space, be positive your information is secure. Using an encrypted website can protect any information sent to and from a specific site.

If you’re ever unsure, simply find a secure wireless network instead, like at home where you should have your Wi-Fi password protected, or check for the lock symbol on your browser near the address bar before sending any personal information. This lock icon means your page is encrypted, and you’re being protected.

If you have a laptop, do not keep (or, at least, limit) any personal information saved on it. Many sites have an automatic login feature, or there are sites like Amazon that will store your card information to make it easier for you to access. By limiting the places your financial information has been provided online, you will limit the risk as well.

Simply by not using automatic logins, your password and financial information will be safer in the event of your laptop getting stolen, or any potential hackers out there trying to steal your identity online. Just make sure always to log off after using websites housing any personal information, like your bank, and clear the browser before logging into another site, like social media sites for example.

Using a payment processor like PayPal or Google Checkout can help you limit the amount of personal information that spreads across the internet. Try using temporary credit cards specifically for online use; these types of cards were made to avoid others obtaining your information when making online purchases. After using the card a couple of times, the numbers become inoperative.

You can also protect yourself by choosing only one particular payment method to use online. Then, if someone does get ahold of your information, you only have to cancel one credit card account instead of canceling all of them.

Also, consider the information stored on your smartphone. If you install an app allowing you to automatically lock it down or erase the information it contains completely and remotely, you’ll be protected even if your phone is stolen.

There may be more scams and techniques out there to steal your information than before the internet came along, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take measures to ensure your personal and financial information is secure at all times.

Be careful in storing and disposing of personal information, ask questions before sharing, ensure your information is safeguarded by the sites you use, make sure your technology and devices are secure, and you will easily keep yourself safe from identity theft no matter where you are.