These days your personal data is everywhere, and that information is valuable to marketers, hackers and everyone in between.  If you want to prevent the unauthorized use of your personal information, you need to take a proactive approach to protecting yourself and your identity.

You can no longer afford to be blasé about your data security – if you are not taking proactive measures to prevent the use of your personal information, you are opening yourself up to all kinds of problems.  Here are some tips you can use to protect yourself and your data in this age of data breaches.

Check Your Privacy Settings on Social Media

There is an old saying in the tech world – if the service is free, you are the product.  Nowhere is this more true than in the world of social media.  Avoid the Facebook may be getting all the headlines, but other social media companies operate in the same manner, selling your personal data to advertisers and serving up targeted marketing messages.

While there is nothing inherently evil in targeted advertising, it can become obtrusive when bad actors get involved.  If you want to protect your data from the next Cambridge Analytica, you can start by adjusting your privacy settings.  Controlling the type of data that is shared, and who it is shared with, can go a long way toward protecting your privacy.

Designate an Online Shopping Card

Shopping online is convenient, but it is important to stay safe.  With so much credit card data being stolen, it has never been more important to be proactive about protecting yourself and your money.

You can start by designating a single card for all your online shopping.  Use that credit card whenever you shop online, then check your statements carefully for signs of fraud and unauthorized use.

Avoid Saving Your Credit Card Data at Shopping Sites

It may be convenient to save your payment information, but it is also risky. Avoid the temptation to save your credit card information and instead take the time to enter it each time you shop.

This proactive measure will protect you in two ways. First, it will prevent your credit card information from being revealed in the next data breach, but it will also reduce the impulse purchases that might otherwise wreck your budget.

Use Strong Security on All Your Devices

Your online security is only as strong as your weakest link, so make sure all your devices are well protected.  From your tablet to your smartphone to your laptop, make sure you have strong antivirus and malware protection on every device you use.

Implementing strong security and keeping it updated is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself from the next data breach.  Think of your online security as a chain, one that requires the robust participation of every link along the way.

Data breaches are inevitable, and the bad guys keep coming up with new ways to steal your personal information.  If you want to protect yourself in this dangerous digital world, you need to take a proactive approach, and that means building security into everything you do online.