How to protect against online identity theft

With the internet becoming more and more a part of our daily lives, online identity theft is also becoming more common and is proving to be a serious concern. It is easy for your personal data to be stolen online and used for illegal activities. So how can you protect yourself from online identity theft?

Install a good anti virus software:
Use an anti virus that offer protection against phishing, spyware and keyloggers (programs that record everything you type, including passwords) and includes privacy protection software.

Use a strong password:
Use a strong password which is hard to guess and contains a complex combination of letters and numbers. Avoid using generic and obvious passwords such as your name. Have separate passwords for the separate accounts you operate and avoid using the same password for more than one account.

Use secure online payment methods for online transactions:
Never disclose bank details. Use credit cards or pay pal as they both provide fraud liability protection and other methods such as AlertPay or Moneybookers as all of these only require and email address.

Be mindful of the emails you receive:
Do not be lured in to tempting online deals, some of these are scams to get your details.