More than 92 percent of U.S. adults have been guilty of at least one risky data security behavior in the past year, according to a new CreditCards.com report . This is despite the finding that Americans are more concerned about identity theft than home burglaries.
CreditCard.com industry analyst Ted Rossman said there's a disconnect because people say their concerned about identity theft, but their actions don't prove it.
He said the most common is re-using online passwords.
"Somebody opening up a new account in your name and then running up some big bills. That's really hard to unwind. Much harder than getting a fraudulent transaction taken off your credit card," said Rossman.
Other common risky behaviors include:
• using a public Wi-Fi network (48 percent),
• saving passwords (45 percent)
• payment info (35 percent) online
Put tech aside and we're messing it up old school, too.
Who carries their Social Security card around with them--a third of adults? Also, throwing out mail...especially with sensitive information...don't forget to shred it first.
Rossman said instead of taking reactive measures, be proactive...like freezing your credit.
"You can completely lockdown anybody else from opening credit in your name by freezing your credit with Experian, Equifax and Transunion," said Rossman.
He said it won't prevent fraudulent transactions on your credit cards.
He said the most damaging form of identity theft is when someone opens up a new account in your name and running up bills.
Beware of child identity theft. Last year there were more than a million cases. It goes undetected for many years.