If you have personal information online, and you probably do, now is the time to get serious about protecting that information and keeping an eye on your credit.

Just days after Equifax began accepting requests for reimbursement from consumers whose personal information was illicitly obtained from them in a data breach, Capital One announced that they had suffered a breach in which a treasure trove of information on 104 million individuals was compromised.

If you are a Capital One customer and your information was affected, the company says they will reach out to you and will offer free credit monitoring. Concerned consumers can also visit capitalone.com/facts2019/ for more information and steps you may take to protect yourself.

What is clear from these recent stories is that the information we provide to those providing services to us can be extremely vulnerable and can easily fall into the wrong hands. This means that it is crucial that you take the proper steps to ensure that your information is properly protected online.

The following are a few tips to ensuring the security of your personal information:

Safeguard Your Passwords – Use strong password that do not include any personal information. Don’t share your password with others, and do not use the same password for all your accounts.

Protect Your Social Security Number – Ask questions before freely giving out your social security number to companies. Ask why they need it, how it will be used and how they plan to protect it. Also ask if you can open an account with them without sharing your social security number.

Keep Your Devices Secure – Install encrypting software on your computer and any other devices that contains your personal info. Make sure to get anti-virus software and a firewall for your device as well. Keeping malicious actors out of your computer is one of the best ways to keep your info secure. Try to keep as little private info as possible on your electronic devices.

Don’t Use Unsecured Wifi – Uploading personal information using a public wifi network can potentially expose your information to hackers. Make sure that wifi networks being used are secured and encrypted.

Monitor Your Credit – Be consistent in watching for oddities on your credit report and immediately report any suspicious behavior. Consider buying the services of a credit security company. Some even offer a money guarantee that they will protect your information. It might cost you a few bucks a month, but it’s worth avoiding financial ruin.