1. Ask why your information is needed — what are they going to use it for?
2. Think before you disclose — you may not need to hand out your personal information
3. Don’t put large amounts of personal information on social networking sites
4. Check your records — make sure the information held about you is correct and up‑to‑date
5. Read privacy policies — can be boring, but informative!
6. Don’t leave your personal information lying around — shred old mail and records that are no longer required
7. Sign up to the ‘Do Not Call Register’ to stop direct market phone calls — visit  www.donotcall.gov.au
8. Check for encryption and use secure payment methods when shopping online
9. Tick the ‘opt out’ box on forms if you don’t want to receive marketing communications.
10. Know your privacy rights — visit www.oaic.gov.au
More in our Privacy Series: Changes to the Law; Social Media & Identity Theft; and The Truth About Your Credit Report
