Every day, as we spend more of our time online, we share more personal information, which scammers can take advantage of.

Your online reputation is an increasingly important part of modern life and knowing how to manage this, alongside your digital footprint, is the key to staying safe online.

You should always think about who can view any content you share online – taking control of this is the first step towards actively managing your online reputation.

So what simple steps can you take to protect your online reputation? Make sure you tailor your privacy settings, choosing when and what you share, as well as who you’re sharing this with.

Be aware of what is being posted about you from others and how far-reaching these posts can be.

Own your online presence:

• Review or set your privacy and security settings to your comfort level for information sharing across your devices and web services such as your social media accounts.
• Remember that it’s ok to limit how and with whom you share information with. This also helps you to manage information about you shared by others, such as when tagged in a potentially embarrassing post, you can review and select whether posts would reach your online contacts
• Think before you post: Before posting online, think about how it might be perceived now, and in the future, as well as who might see it
• Get two steps ahead: To prevent unauthorised access to your online accounts, whenever available, make sure you switch on two-step verification or multi-factor authentication for an added layer of protection

Tips to prevent identity fraud

Password management 

• Use strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts, and don’t use the same password across all your online accounts. If you do, if one account be compromised, you’re effectively handing over the keys to your other accounts, further compromising your identity
• Use a secure password manager to help you remember all those strong, unique passwords you use and to autofill your login information

Review bank statements:

• If a company you do business with has experienced a breach, you should immediately change your account passwords and consider cancelling the credit card you use with them
• Make sure you regularly review your bank statements to help you quickly spot any suspect transactions or account openings that you did not make.
• Be quick to notify your financial institution and change your credit/debit card if you see any fraudulent purchases to prevent further damage.

Online shopping: 

• Ensure you shop online or manage your online banking with secure websites that begin with “https”. Always check for the green padlock icon in your web browser!
• When connected to a public Wi-Fi hotspot avoid shopping and banking online as these may not be secure

Protect your personal information:

• Before throwing away any letters or documents that contain your personal information, such as account numbers or your mailing address, make sure you shred these to retain privacy
• Be wary of emails and messages you receive, especially if they contain spelling mistakes or they ask you to click on a link or open an attachment which will require your password or financial information. Visit the company’s website directly to verify the authenticity of such a request
• To keep you protected against spyware, viruses, financial Trojans and other malware designed to scam and steal information, use a comprehensive security solution for all your connected devices