Are you thinking social security numbers? Date of birth? Obviously, giving that data to the public is a terrible idea.

But what about something as simple as your middle name...

Let's imagine your name is Jennifer Helen Jackson or Chris Robert Jackson. And you want to make your brand standout. There are a ton of Chris and Jennifers! So what do you do? You add your middle name, right?

To your email address, your domain name, business name.

Or you use your child's name. Maybe even the child's full name. Cute, right?

Only now data phishing criminals are >that< much closer to gaining all the info they need to steal your identity.

Protect your Identity Online

NEVER add any of the following to your business name, email address, web address or other publicly visible information:

• Your middle name
• Your maiden name
• Your city or parts of your address
• Your date of birth or your birth year
• Your age
• Your child’s full name, date of birth and birth city. Side note: Resist sharing this information on social media like facebook, Instagram and/or your website. Children's identities can also be stolen and chances are you or your child wouldn't know until they reached age 18.

Here are some additional online safety tips:

Protect your devices with up-to-date security software

Learn to spot spam and scams (always double check urls before clicking)

When you receive an unusual email, call and verify first before assuming that the email is legitimate. 

Just because it looks like an Amazon (Target, PayPal, etc) email - doesn't mean it's not fake. Scrutinize and hover over any urls before clicking.

Use strong passwords.

Monitor your credit.

Lock your credit when not in use, unlock only when you need to apply for a job, home loan or something similar.

Only use reputable websites when making purchases.

Keep sites bookmarked and use those verified bookmarks, rather than relying on searches and possibly being re-routed by a fake website

Secure your wireless network at home and office

Read more about online security here: Federal Trade Commission - Consumer Advice https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/online-security