This is a scary subject, but it’s important not to be overwhelmed. The more overwhelmed we get with security advice, the harder it is to take action.

Tightening our privacy has other advantages as well.

If you’re applying for a job, almost all employers will look for you on Google.

Making our profiles private ensures they won’t see anything we don’t want them to.

Be wary of unfamiliar “friend” or “connection” requests. Determined hackers can create fake accounts to get information from people.

The best way of fighting this is to only connect with people you know in real life. If a scammer can’t get your details, they’ll find it much harder to steal your identity.