Moms have jobs that can sometimes best be described as harrowing at times. That said 99.9 percent of them would not trade the role of being a mother for anything else in the world.

One of the most important jobs a mom (and dad too) has is keeping the family safe from outside threats.

Over the last decade or two, many moms have found one of the top outside threats is that of identity theft.

It just takes one instance of identity theft to change a family’s outlook, not to mention its purse strings.

In the event you have not spent much time thinking about it, how will you keep your family away from identity theft thieves?

Have a Plan and Execute It

While there may not be any plan that is 100 percent foolproof against the best identity theft thieves around, you can certainly put the odds in your favor of not being harmed by them in doing the following:

• Protect your online activities – First and foremost, identity theft thieves know where many Americans spend their time these days, the Internet. As a result, online criminals just need to sit back and wait, hoping a consumer either has no online protection plan for their Internet activities and/or they make a major gaffe while using the worldwide web. Either way, the result can be quite damaging for the consumer and his or her family. If you do not already have a security software system in place, change that sooner rather than later. Whether you choose to go with a brand such as LifeLock or other quality products and services out there, the important factor is you have someone protecting you. Sure, it can be easy to say that you do not have the money for a regular subscription or that you use the Internet rather infrequently, but such protection products and services also cover you with your bank account, credit card activities and much more. At the end of the day, don’t you want you and your family covered?
• Don’t advertise your financial movements – Another way to keep identity theft thieves at bay is by not advertising your financial movements, notably when it comes to your bank account, credit cards etc. For example, while you may think you have a secure online connection while traveling, you decide to tell the entire world on social media that you misplaced your credit card while out at a certain restaurant or your bank (and you name it online) is hassling you over a banking matter. One, you just told people watching you online that your credit card is missing. Two, you just informed the world where you bank. In a short amount of time, a proven identity theft thief can add up the clues, potentially striking before you even know it. Keep all banking, credit and debit card, Social Security account information etc. to yourself.
• Review your activities regularly – Last but certainly not least, make sure you stay on top of your financial activities. If you don’t monitor your bank accounts, get a credit report from time to time, visit your Social Security updates etc. you honestly don’t know if something is amiss or not. Now, when you turn to an identity theft protection provider, you certainly lessen the degree of being out of touch with what is going on in your financial life. Still, it does not hurt to get into the practice of monitoring your key financial footsteps on a regular basis.

Identity theft is a big business in the U.S. and worldwide for that matter. As a result, it is imperative that you take it seriously, finding the best protection plan possible for you and yours.

If you take the problem lightheartedly, you stand a good chance of becoming the next victim, something that could negatively impact your family’s financial well-being for many years to come.

Don’t be that family that looks back and wonders what they could have done to prevent this in the first place.

By educating you and your family about the dangers of identity theft, you all stand a much better chance of fending off identity theft thieves.