As the percentage of people using the Internet increases, so do security risks.

With the increasing use of social networking sites and networks, people are making more and more personal information available online, making it more difficult to protect sensitive information. Fortunately, there are various ways to protect your online identity and personal information.

Here are the top ten ways you can protect yourself online:

1. Use strong passwords
   A common way to protect your online identity is to focus on creating strong passwords. When creating a password, select something that will not be easily broken or decrypted. Never use the name or number of someone you can identify with as a first, middle, or last name, spouse or child name, address, phone number, employers, or other identifying letters or numbers. Combine the letters and numbers used in your password and use symbols and combinations of as many and as many numbers as possible to protect yourself from online security breaches. In addition, it is important that you never share your password with anyone. You may need to change your passwords a few times each year.
2. See Encryption
   Before engaging in any form of online financial transaction, look for signs indicating whether the website is encrypted or not. To do this, look for two things: reliable security lock symbols and additional “s” at the end of http in the URL or web address bar. If you are on a page requesting credit card details, “http” switches to “https” if it is a secure site. At the same time, a lock icon will also appear on the right side of the address bar or at the bottom left of your browser window. These two signs indicate that the site is encrypted, which means that no one will be able to see the information as it is sent to the owner of the website. This keeps your name, phone number, address, credit card number and other sensitive information visible to anyone else.
3. Install Security Suites
   Security suits are security programs that keep people and unscrupulous programs from infecting your computer and stealing information and data from you. This includes blocking malicious software such as spyware, viruses, and criminal scams to steal sensitive information that can be secretly posted online. Other popular security suits include Norton Antivirus, McAfee Virus Protection, Ad-Aware Pro Security, and AVG Internet Security. Make sure you purchase and install one of these sites to protect your online information.

4.Open the Web Browser Block List
The lack of internet security is partly due to the Internet browser used. Many web browsers have additional security options such as blacklisting. This allows you to set up a process for sites to navigate; only secure, reliable sites will be available for a visit.

5. Avoid the crime of stealing sensitive information
   Fraudulent identity theft scams use a variety of methods to obtain your information and steal your identity. There are many types of identity theft scams out there, but they can be avoided by teaching them how to detect them. To avoid becoming a victim of fraudulent theft of sensitive information, do not open emails or attachments where the sender is anonymous and do not click on unsafe links from unfamiliar emails. In addition, avoid anyone who donates money, unusual job opportunities or donation requests to charities as this can be a strategy for obtaining your personal information and online identity.

6. Get Privacy Protection
   Another way to protect your online identity and sensitive information when you share online is to obtain privacy data protection. This type of security will protect any privacy data embedded in emails, private shipping systems, social networking sites, or on various blogs. By using the personal data protection suite, you can continue to protect hackers from collecting your personal information.
7. Password-Protect Your Wireless Router
   A wireless router that accesses the Internet at your home or business should always be password protected. If you do not have a password on your wireless network, anyone in your class can use and access your internet, or a criminal. A cybercrime hacker will take advantage of that and steal information from your computer while accessing your route. You should also enable the encryption feature on the wireless router, which processes any data you send online to further protect your sensitive data.
8. Hide your details
   You may accidentally share your personal information with others if you do not set up your web browser properly. Whenever you get a new computer or download and install a new browser, you can start configuring it. To do this, you will be able to access the “set-up” option in the browser and choose to stop the browser from disclosing your name, email address or other information. Be sure to take this extra step when you download or install the browser to ensure your privacy and security.
9. Enable cookies in your web browser only when required
   Another option to set up your browser is to protect your online data to enable cookies only when a website is required. These cookies contain information that is stored on your computer, including information about the sites you visit and what you do there. Most of them keep information to themselves, but this is also a way for dishonest people to access your information. You want cookies enabled, but you are only limited to the websites you need.
10. Protect Your Credit Card Information
    Another option to set up your browser is to protect your online data to enable cookies only when a website is required. These cookies contain information that is stored on your computer, including information about the sites you visit and what you do there. Most of them keep information to themselves, but this is also a way for dishonest people to access your information. You want cookies enabled, but you are only limited to the websites you need.