Identity theft has been common for a long time. Traditionally, identity theft required something like a credit card or driver’s license to be physically stolen. More recently, identity theft became even more damaging because hackers steal personal information from the internet or your computer without your awareness. Here are some tips on how you can prevent it. 1) Don’t provide more information than necessary. Only fill out boxes that are required information. 2) Make sure you’re using a secure connection by looking for a lock in your browser’s status bar and https in the address bar. 3) Clean out your browser’s cache, and don’t use cookies. Even if you’re logging into a trustworthy site, the cache on your computer stores information, which hackers can access. 4) Use quality software to increase your computer’s safety and once you have virus protection, make sure to keep it updated. 5) Be careful with your email. Don’t download files from strangers or open suspicious emails.