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Being safe online is important every day. There may be days devoted to internet security awareness, but you need to be careful every time you go online.

Do you know what it takes to be safe online? You probably connect daily to get information, shop, socialize or work. But every time you go online, you need to avoid the risk of theft or fraud.

Here are some tips to use while visiting the Social Security website as well as the other websites you use;

Use strong passwords Strong passwords have at least eight characters and include capital letters, lower-case letters, numbers and nonletter characters. Those passwords make it harder for someone to hack your accounts.

Dont recycle passwords Although it requires effort to think of new passwords constantly, it provides safety when you do. What if you use the same password for every site and you lose your password? If someone finds it, they could get access to all your accounts. Many people choose to reuse dont be one of them.

Take advantage of multifactor authentication Many websites offer the option to use a second factor or method in addition to just a user name and password to ensure that only you can access your information.

Using more than one factor to establish identity makes it harder for someone to get into your account and steal your personal information.

Beginning June 10, 2017, Social Security will require multifactor authentication to access a My Social Security account.

Customers will choose whether to receive a one-time security code through either their phones or email in order create a new account or sign into their account.

Consider using multifactor authentication whenever its offered to protect your information.

Read scam alerts For information about fraudulent activities related to Social Security, you can find information at our blog called Social Security Matters under the Newsroom section at blog.socialsecurity.gov.

One way to avoid identity theft is to create your own My Social Security account, if you havent already. When you have an account, no one else can set up an account using your information.

The Social Security Administrations Office of the Inspector General investigates fraud involving Social Security and publishes Fraud Advisories at oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/news-release.

Youll want to be aware of current scams to avoid being tricked.

Review your accounts and credit reports Just as you review your earnings record with Social Security for accuracy at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount, you should also review your bank and credit card accounts for accuracy.

Get a free copy of your credit report, which is available annually from the three credit reporting agencies Experian, Equifax and Transunion at http://www.annualcreditreport.com/ and check it for incorrect entries.

Protecting your identity can be daunting. Guarding your personal information requires investing some time, but its worth it.

Discourage theft and fraud by adopting those security practices when you use the internet.

Essie Landry is the public affairs specialist for the Social Security Administration Sierra West Area.

Read this article:
Inside Social Security: Make every day your internet security day - Santa Ynez Valley News