Passwords are the keys to your personal information. There are some easy steps that you can take to protect yourself from having your personal information compromised.

Always set different passwords for each online service that you access. This will ensure that if a password is retrieved, that the individual will only be able to access that one service versus multiple services.

Always chose passwords that are complex and difficult to guess. For example, use upper and lowercase letters, numbers and characters.

Always make sure that your passwords are not physically easy for others to see. For example, do not write them down on a piece of paper next to your computer.

Always know that the institutions with which you do business will never send you an email notification requesting you to provide your user name and password to validate account information. If you do receive something of this nature, please contact the customer service area immediately for the institution from whom it appears to have originated.

Always choose not to save your password when prompted to by the websites you are visiting. If you select to automatically log in when visiting websites, anyone with access to your computer now has access to the information at these sites.