Nearly half of cardholders (47%) reported that their personal information was exposed in a data breach over the last year, with 14% experiencing this more than once. Consumers may want to take stronger steps in protecting their identity to avoid being a victim. Credit card comparison site CompareCards offers these tips:
Freeze your credit. With a credit freeze, or security freeze, you can restrict access to your credit reports and prevent others from opening new credit-related accounts with your information.
Sign up for identity theft alerts. There are a handful of companies on the market that can provide services for monitoring identity theft, as well as keeping an eye out for Social Security Number scanning.
Create safe digital habits. Set calendar reminders to change important passwords often and learn to recognize the signs of phishing emails and other online scams.