How do you prevent online identity theft?

Despite efforts to defend our data, there is still a lot of digital identity theft. In fact, if in real life it is infrequent but possible for this to happen, in the world of the web it is a much more widespread thing. Just stop and think about how many times you've simply heard of someone who had their photos stolen on Facebook and another account called a "fake" was created with them. Unfortunately it is an incredibly widespread thing, inside and outside of social networks. In this article I will explain how you can prevent this annoying eventuality.

Exactly what is it about?

Digital identity theft is a crime and is punished by the Criminal Code.
But how should you behave if you are a victim?
First of all, as soon as you realize that you are the victim of your identity theft, you must act quickly and report the fact to the relevant website. Immediately after, change the access credentials to e-mail accounts, taking care not to tell anyone. Likewise, in the case of a fake profile on Facebook or Instagram, it will be advisable to contact the social network's assistance service.

Be careful when you launch yourself into challenges in the various games on these social networks, they can hide scams around every corner, rather get busy online!

How to prevent these situations?

Defending against digital identity theft may seem difficult, yet there are good practices to follow to improve the defense of your sensitive data:

• PASSWORD
  The passwords should all be different.
  First of all, a good password must consist of at least twelve/fifteen characters (it is essential that they are alphanumeric) and must include special characters. Furthermore, they must be composed of uppercase and lowercase letters. Finally, there should be no dates or names, and should be changed at least once every two months.
  There are several solutions for creating, managing and archiving passwords, including 1password and KeePass
• VPNs
  Also be careful when browsing the internet in public places (bars, stations, etc.), or in all those places where there is an open and shared Wi-Fi connection. In fact, by connecting to a network of that type, your device will be exposed to possible attacks, with the possibility of also suffering digital identity theft.
  In this case, the solution is to use an excellent VPN, which helps you sift and keep your data safe, acting as a lightning rod for web bad guys.
• SOCIAL
  First of all, it is essential to stop and check the information made public on social networks, making it private if possible and not accessible to anyone; also, remember that messages, which seem to come from people you know, are not always true. Also keep in mind that whatever you decide to share in any social network will remain there, even after the request to delete your profile.
• ANTIVIRUS
  Undoubtedly it is essential to always have an excellent antivirus installed on each device to help keep your data safe, but in addition to this, I suggest that you also look into anti-spyware solutions, in order to avoid the installation of spyware. What are? This is malicious software that is usually downloaded while browsing and that records consumer data and then transmits it to third parties (primarily for advertising purposes).
• EXTRA
  Logically, regardless of identity theft, it is essential to carefully avoid phishing, not clicking on links, messages and emails of dubious sources. For extra protection, all your devices should have two-factor authentication turned on at all times to block the way for hackers trying to get hold of your data.

In conclusion, as difficult and complex as it may seem, the ideal is always to get as much information as possible, in this section on the blog and on our social pages, we will try to do it, informing you of all the threats and scam attempts in progress. This will help you understand how you're using your devices and if you're at risk from how you're browsing the internet. You will thus be able to learn, without excessive apprehension, how to defend yourself from each of these dangers in the best way.

My biggest recommendation is to always pay close attention and always be a little wary, not all that glitters is gold, especially on the web.