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Tech Tip

Don’t Display Your Full Birth Date

If you display your birthday on your Facebook page, leave out the year. People who know the year you were born are one step closer to being able to steal your identity or access sensitive financial information about you.

Scan for Spelling Errors

One of the biggest clues that an email is an attempted phishing attack: misspelled words. Reputable companies have copy editors, so if you spot bad spelling or funny punctuation, be suspicious.

Don’t Post Chain Notes

You know those "10 surprising facts about me" chain notes that float around social networks? Don't participate. You'll be giving away unique, memorable and likely very personal information. Nothing good can come of that.

Set up Recovery Email Accounts

Most webmail providers (such as Gmail) will let you reset your password by mailing a link to an alternate email address. If you forget your password, or if someone hacks your account, a recovery address may help you regain control.

Disable Photo Geotagging

If you've hopped on the Google+ bandwagon, be sure to disable the photo geotagging feature so people can't track when and where you took your posted photos.

Supplement Your Passwords

If a website offers you the ability to use two pieces of data to log in -- such as two passwords, or a password plus a code sent via SMS -- use it. The extra layer of security dramatically reduces your risk of being hacked.

Keep Photocopies of Your Credit Cards

If your wallet is ever stolen, you'll want fast access to your account numbers and the phone numbers to notify banks. Keep photocopies of your cards in a safe place at home so you don't have to scramble.

Don’t Plug in an Unknown USB Drive

Did you find a thumb drive in a coffee shop or on the bus? Don't plug it into your computer! Give it to the proper authorities -- whether that's a lost-and-found or an IT department -- and let them track down the owner. USB drives are notorious havens for malware.

Use Facebook Friend Lists

Create subsets of your Facebook friends. For example, call one list "Kid-friendly" and add only the friends that you'd like to see your kids' photos. When you post kid-related content, share it with only that list.

Use BCC on Group Emails

Sending an email to a big group of people? Put your own address in the "To" field and put your recipients' addresses in the "BCC" field, which stands for "blind carbon copy." That way, you won't be giving out your friends' email addresses to people they don't know.

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