By Scarlett Pruitt, McAfee, Inc.

When it comes to your online trading security, Scottrade and McAfee have you covered. But when it comes to protecting your personal information, some of the responsibility lies with you. The truth is that online security is something we all have to work at, every day, because cybercriminals are constantly changing their tactics and looking for new ways to access our information.

Given that October is National Cybersecurity Month, now is a great time to review some of the key practices that can keep both your money and your identity safe. Because even though threats change, many of the precautions stay the same. By taking just a few simple steps, you can help keep your information from getting in the wrong hands and gain greater peace of mind.

Key Steps to Online Safety:

Create strong passwords. Tough passwords are your first line of defense. Avoid predictable-and guessable-passwords such as your pet's name, date of birth or nickname. Make sure that your passwords are at least 8 characters long and use a combination of letters, numbers and characters. For example, Scotttrade passwords are 8-32 characters long and case sensitive, making them extremely difficult to crack.

Once you've selected a strong password, protect it. Don't write it down, e-mail it, or share it with anyone. Also, make sure to change your passwords periodically.

Regularly review your financial history. Make sure to review your financial statements and transactions as soon as they arrive, so if there are any anomalies or unauthorized transactions you can clear them up right away. Notify Scottrade immediately if any suspicious transactions appear on your account.

Make sure your wireless network is secure. Whether you are trading via a computer or wireless device, you need to make sure that the information you send over your home wireless network is secure, and never send sensitive information over an unsecured wireless network at a hotel or café. Here's how to secure your home network:

1. Enable the highest level of encryption available on your router. Encryption, or scrambling, prevents hackers from being able to read your information. The highest level of encryption on newer routers is called Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA); on older routers Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) is the highest. Check your router's owner manual to learn how to set encryption.
2. Change your router's default password. Router manufacturers set a default administrator password before they ship the router, but cybercrooks often know these default passwords. That's why it is important that you change the password to prevent unauthorized access to your network.
3. Change the identifier, or name of your wireless network, and turn off broadcasting. Your wireless network has a name, called the Service Set Identifier (SSID), which must be known for your computer to connect to the network. Change the default name to something difficult to guess (don't use your address or street name) and switch off the broadcasting of your SSID to keep it hidden from outsiders. Again, check your user's manual to see how.
4. Limit the wireless devices that can connect with your network-Routers come with a feature called "MAC address filtering," which allows you to dictate which wireless devices, or "clients," can connect to your network. Most manufacturers ship routers with this feature turned off, but if you enable MAC address filtering, it can give you an extra layer of security. To enable it, make a list of the MAC address of each client (usually found in the client's operating system or configuration utility) that is allowed to connect to your network and enter these addresses into your router's configuration screen. Then enable filtering. Now, your router will scan the MAC address of any client that tries to connect to confirm that it is a trusted client.

A secure network, strong passwords and regular financial monitoring can go a long way in protecting you and your information while you trade online. As a Scottrade customer, you also are entitled to a one-year, complimentary subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus to protect you from the latest viruses, spyware, adware and other threats. To learn about this offer and read more helpful security tips, visit www.scottrade.com/security.

Scarlett Pruitt writes security-related articles for McAfee. She partners up with McAfee's security experts to bring to life the reality of the threat landscape in the consumer world. Her work appears regularly on McAfee.com. Scottrade and McAfee are separate companies and the information provided by McAfee, or its employees, should not be attributed to Scottrade.