safe
Photo by CC user Tax Credits on Flickr.

What are you doing to protect yourself (and your family in many cases) from those out to do you harm?

While some precautions might almost seem impossible to put forth, many others are doable. Among those in the doable category would be identity theft protection, protecting your kids from strangers (especially online), and securing your home.

As you break each of those down, remember that criminals of all types will literally stop at nothing to get to you or the things closest to you.

That said there are ways for you to fight back, especially when it comes to prevention.

So, can you say with as much certainty as possible that your life is safe from criminals?

Using Smarts to Outwit Criminals

So that you are better protected when it comes to keeping you and yours safe, start with your online identity.

What are you doing to make sure your online identity is as safe as possible from identity theft thieves?

For starters, whether you look at LifeLock reviews or others out there in the identity theft protection business, make sure you are covered. With the countless dollars that can be lost to even one successful identity theft strike against you, you really can’t take the chance of going unprotected.

If you’re wondering what some of the acts are that can spell trouble for you, they would include:

  • Credit score drops – Credit scores fall for a number of reasons, one of which is out of control spending. If a criminal gets ahold of your credit card or cards, he or she could go on a spending spree before you even knew what hit you. In turn, your credit score could plummet. By having a security provider monitoring your credit score, you are better able to catch any noticeable problems before they cause severe damage;
  • Credit card concerns –If you go out to eat or patronize any other business for that matter, do you almost always pay for products and services with a credit card? If so, be sure not to leave not only your card sitting around, but also any receipts. You may think that a receipt with just four digits on it can’t cause harm, but you may be surprised. Also be sure to shred any receipts once you are done with them, along with doing likewise for credit cards once they have expired.

Don’t Open the Door to Strangers

  • Home security – As for your home security needs, be sure to go with a security provider, one that protects your home from front to back. Installing a security system is not as expensive as you might think. It also allows you to not only protect your family and possessions when home, but also alert authorities if someone tries to break-in while you are away. In shopping for a home security system, be sure to shop around and get a number of options with which to choose from;
  • Your kids – As much as you love them, your child or children can be mischievous at times. One of the dangers of this kind of activity is welcoming strangers into your lives. Do whatever it takes to protect them, both when online and when out in public. As for the online protection, you can install a security software program that can monitor what they do each and every time they log-in. When it comes to outside the home, make sure they are not openly going up to strangers to talk to them, especially when not in your presence for even a few seconds.

Just as employers have to look for red flags in hiring new employees and running their companies, you have red flags to be aware of too. Be cognizant of all that is happening around you, making for a safer life at the end of the day.

Keep in mind that criminals can strike in many different ways, something that gives them a leg-up on you and yours.

When all is said and done, how safe do you truly feel?