Over the years, every 4 out of 10 Indians experienced an identity theft, revealed a new report from NortonLifeLock. Titled the Cyber Safety Insights Report, it reveals that at least 10 per cent of these people were impacted in the last year itself. The study reveals that 61% of respondents feel well-protected against ID theft but 63% would have no idea what to do in case of an identity theft, and more than three-quarters (79%) wish they had more information on what to do if it were to happen.

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The report lists a few tips that can help you safeguard your online identity.

Take measures to help protect yourself against identity theft: Key ways to help prevent identity theft include using legitimate sites when shopping online, using a secure network, remaining on the lookout for devices attached to card readers or ATMs and keeping an eye on your credit card statements and credit reports.

Use strong passwords: The report advises users to opt for complex passwords which could be a random word that includes a combination of at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. Using a password manager to generate complex, hard to guess passwords can also help. 

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Keep your software updated: Cyber criminals frequently use known exploits, or flaws, in your software to gain access to your system. Keeping your software helps in avoiding these situations.

Think Before You Click: Do not click on any suspicious link you receive through SMS or email. They might take you to a site that asks you to reveal personal information, or that puts malware on your device.

Read the privacy policies: Almost all the apps or websites we open on our smartphones, ask for certain permissions. Carefully read the terms and conditions before granting it to a third-party app/software. Be wary of those asking for permissions to read text messages, access to contacts list, camera and so on, the report says.