Pentagon Federal Credit Union
Log In Accounts
Search
  • Routing # 256078446
  • Partners
  • Member Discounts
  • Wealth
  • Foundation
  • ATMs & Branches
  • About
  • Search
  • Checking & Savings
    • Checking
      • Free Checking
      • Access America Checking
      • All Checking Accounts
    • Savings
      • Premium Online Savings
      • Regular Savings
      • All Savings Accounts
    • Certificates
      • Money Market Certificate
      • Coverdell Education Certificate
      • All Certificates
    • IRAs
      • IRA Certificate
      • IRA Savings Account
      • All IRAs
    • How Can We Help?
      • Contact Us
      • FAQs
      • Forms
    • Special
      • Access America Checking - Earn more and Get paid early.
  • Credit Cards
    • Our Cards
      • Credit Cards Overview
    • How Can We Help?
      • Contact Us
      • Disclosures
      • Resource Center
    • Special
      • Choose the perfect card - Open Now
  • Auto
    • Auto Loans
      • Purchase
      • Refinance
      • Car Buying Service
    • Protection
      • Vehicle Protection
      • GAP Coverage
      • Debt Protection
    • How Can We Help?
      • Contact Us
      • FAQs
      • Forms
    • Special
      • Unlock your next road trip - Explore Vehicles
  • Mortgage & Home Equity
    • Home
      • Mortgage Home
    • Purchase
      • Apply for a Mortgage
      • PenFed Homes
      • First Time Homebuyer
      • Mortgage Pre-approval
    • HELOC & Refi
      • HELOC
      • Mortgage Refi
    • Loan Types
      • Conventional Loan
      • FHA Loan
      • VA Loan
      • Jumbo Loan
      • VA Refi Loan
    • Tools & Resources
      • Knowledge Center
      • Mortgage Media
      • Mortgage Calculators
      • Contact
    • Special
      • Home affordability sale - View Rates
  • Loans
    • Personal Loans
      • Overview
      • Debt Consolidation
      • Credit Card Consolidation
      • Home Improvement
      • Additional Uses
    • Student Loans
      • Student Loans
    • How Can We Help?
      • Contact Us
      • FAQs
      • Forms
    • Special
      • Personal Loans made easy online
  • Learn
    • Learning Hub
      • Learning Center
      • Mortgage Knowledge Center
      • Financial Assistance Center
      • Natural Disaster Relief Assistance
    • About PenFed
      • About
      • New Members
      • Sponsors
      • FAQs
      • Forms
    • Security & Fraud
      • Security Center
    • How Can We Help?
      • Careers
      • Contact Us
    • Special
      • Learn how we protect your data
  • Join Now
  • Log In
  • Accounts
  • Resources

LEARNING CENTER

To get ahead you have to stay informed.
  1. Home
  2. Learning Center
  3. How to Protect Your Personal Data Online

Security

How to Protect Your Personal Data Online

EXPECTED READ TIME: 4 MINUTES

Published: November 09, 2023

If you’re like many Americans, the end of winter means the beginning of spring cleaning. Summer triggers a little vehicle maintenance in preparation for vacations. And for a growing number of security-minded individuals, October means National Cybersecurity Awareness Month — and time to for their personal security checkup.

Completing a personal security checkup is easier than you might think. Here are five quick steps to better protect your personal information.

What We’ll Cover 

  • Review Your Credit Report
  • Update Your Passwords
  • Protect Your Home Computer
  • Secure Your Phone
  • Review Your Social Media Settings
  • Bonus Tips
pf-security-checklist

Review Your Credit Report

You’re entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the major credit bureaus. Viewing these reports can help you catch signs of identity theft or misinformation that could affect your ability to open new lines of credit. 

If you notice suspicious activity, you may also choose to freeze or lock your credit for added protection. Another option is to subscribe to a dark web monitoring service that will alert you if your personal data shows up on the dark web.

warning icon

More tips to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud.

Read More

Update Your Passwords

A secure password is still one of the best defenses against identity theft, yet most of us aren’t great at picking good ones. The strongest passwords are:

  • Unique and used for only one website or app

  • 12 or more characters long

  • Made up of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters 

Of course, strong passwords can be hard to remember. Writing them down — or saving them in a note on your computer or phone — is convenient but not secure. If you have trouble creating strong passwords or remembering them, consider using a password manager.

A secure password is still one of the best defenses against identity theft.

Protect Your Home Computer

From your personal budget and tax information to utilities and credit card bills, your home computer contains tons of personal information. Thankfully, you can take steps to protect yourself like enabling a firewall, activating antivirus protection, and installing operating system updates that include important security patches.

Updates aren’t just for your computer either. Internet browsers also need security updates from time to time. Clearing cookies and your browsing history also enhances your security by clearing personal information that could be stolen. (This goes for the browser on your smartphone, too!)

 

Clearing cookies and your browsing history also enhances your security by clearing personal information.

Secure Your Phone

Smartphones are a popular target for hackers, especially with the rise of mobile banking, but securing your phone isn’t complicated. You’re most of the way there if you keep your OS and apps updated, enable two-factor authentication, use a lock on your home screen, and avoid public Wi-Fi.

You can take your protection further by reviewing app permissions occasionally and uninstalling apps that collect more data than you’re comfortable sharing. And don’t forget to restart your phone once in a while. It will run better and keep you safer.

You can take your protection further by reviewing app permissions occasionally.

Review Your Social Media Settings

Social media sites are treasure troves of personal data. In fact, we often share more than we realize on these sites. With constant changes and updates, it can be hard to manage your security settings and know who can view what information you share.

Yet there are things you can do to keep yourself safe while staying connected. Here are some best practices for protecting your personal security on social networking sites:

  • Only add people you know to your social media accounts

  • Use a unique password for each social media site and change it regularly 

  • Limit the amount of fact-based personal information you share (such as your birthday, address, hometown, graduation dates, and phone number or email address)

  • Use a password instead of a real answer for security verification questions

We often share more than we realize on social media sites.

Bonus Tips

Along with completing an annual security checkup, practicing good cybersecurity habits year-round will go a long way to keep you and your family safe. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind.

Shop Safely

Online shopping is convenient, and more and more people are turning to online retailers for great bargains. The problem is that online shopping requires you to share bank or credit card information that can be intercepted or stolen. When you shop online, be sure to check that:

The website’s URL contains https://, not http://. That S stands for “secure” and means the data you share will be encrypted.

You’re on an official URL. Misspellings or extra characters in a URL might indicate you’re on a scammer’s website that is pretending to be official. 

The sender’s email address on any email offers you receive is official. Like with websites, fake email offers can steal your information. These scams are especially common around the holidays.

Online shopping requires you to share bank or credit card information that can be intercepted or stolen.

Familiarize Yourself With Common Scams

Many scams follow one of a handful of patterns. If you’re familiar with the most popular scams, you’re less likely to fall for them. PenFed is dedicated to helping you learn to recognize credit card fraud, spot phishing emails, protect your family online, and protect you children’s personal data.

Know How to Take Action

Even the smartest among us sometimes get taken for a ride. Don’t panic if that happens. We have a straightforward guide to reporting fraud and identity theft, complete with a list of organizations you should contact and steps you can take to minimize the situation.

Even the smartest among us sometimes get taken for a ride. Don’t panic if that happens.

The Takeaway

Your personal security checkup may take some time to complete the first time you do it. But once you have a system in place, your annual checkup will be a breeze. Isn’t it worth a little peace of mind?

Have More Questions about Security? PenFed has Answers.

Learn more about protecting your personal information from online theft and threats.

Learn More

SIMILAR ARTICLES

What to Do if Your Identity is Stolen

Have no fear...we've got the simple strategies and advice to help you prevent and respond effectively to identity theft and fraud.

stolen identity

10 Security Tips for Working Remotely

Whether you've been working from home for years or you're just getting used to it, learn some of the best ways to protect your remote workstation.

someone working remotely

Reporting Internet Crimes

You are responsible for your online safety and the safety of your family members. Be aware of the numerous internet crimes that exist.

reporting internet crimes

Protect Personal Data for Children

Increased educational tracking and required online registration for childhood activities, means students accumulate personal data profiles online. Protect personal data to keep your children safe and secure.

little girl interacting with an ipad
  • ATMs & Branches
  • Careers
  • Foundation
  • Contact Us
  • Security Center

This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Rates are current as of May 2025 unless otherwise noted and are subject to change.

APY = Annual Percentage Yield
APR = Annual Percentage Rate


  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram
Download the PenFed app on Apple Store Download the PenFed app on Google Play
Read More about Equal Housing
Routing #256078446

©2025 Pentagon Federal Credit Union

Privacy
Disclosures
Fees
Rates
Forms
Site Map

Head’s Up!

You are about to visit a third-party site not affiliated with PenFed.org.

penfedcu.sparrowfi.com sparrowfi.com penfed and traveller logo penfed and seguros logo penfed and national car logo penfed and trustage logo PenFed and CampusDoor logo PenFed and Ascent logo PenFed and Ascent logo penfed and househappy logo penfed and benefit services logo penfed and chubb logo penfed and alpha logo penfed and crutchfield logo penfed and ftd logo

This content is from a third-party website. PenFed Credit Union is not responsible for its information.

Continue

Get Started

×

LOGIN

JOIN