Criminals are always looking for ways to get your personal information to use in criminal activities. The good news is that there are many steps you can take to help protect your data and minimize its value to criminals. Here are three:  

--Create stronger passwords: Better protect yourself by using strong and unique passwords or passphrases or consider using a password manager to store and generate strong passwords securely.   

--Use multi-factor authentication: A second layer of defense to your accounts makes it harder for cybercriminals to gain access. Check account settings for two-factor authentication, two-step verification, or multi-factor authentication, and follow the setup instructions. 

--Keep your operating system updated: Sometimes those updates are to patch a known vulnerability; set yours – and your antivirus protection - to update automatically. 

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.  

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.