With most Americans shopping on line these days, it is good to know a few basic safety procedures to keep your information secure and private. We all think that identity theft happens to someone else but it could, actually, happen to anyone.

Here are a few tips to keeping your information safe.

1. USE A HOME COMPUTER
If you will be entering credit card information, do not use an internet cafe or a hotel computer. Only shop at home or on a computer you know to be safe from viruses. You don’t even want to know what could happen to all your private information.

2. HOW SAFE IS THE SECURE CHECKOUT
Always check the web address when you get to a checkout page if you are shopping online. Most website urls start with HTTP, but for a secure website, it will start with HTTPS. The S indicates it is a secure site.

3. KEEP ONE CARD FOR ONLINE PURCHASES ONLY
This is a simple idea to keep in mind to avert damage in case your card is compromised. Additionally, don’t ever save your credit card info online if prompted to do so. Take the time to re-enter info the next time.

4. KEEP SEVERAL PASSWORDS
We know, we know … it’s much easier to have one password, but this makes it simple for any hacker to get to your info if they so desire. There is a rule of thumb in the tech world … One password for shopping, one for banking and one for everything else. Period.