Much of business done today is online – with the internet providing convenience for services including banking, shopping, and socializing. Protecting your identity and digital activity is more important than ever. We share some basic changes to make right now to improve your safety online. 

5 Online Safety Steps to Take Now

1. Make Your Passwords Stronger 

A strong password is the first step to staying safe online. Are you using the same password for everything? STOP NOW. Don’t use the same password or an easy to guess one like “123456” or “password” or “qwerty” passcode. If you have trouble keeping track of your passwords, consider using a safe, credible password keeper.

Pointers to Create a Strong Password

• Make sure your password is at least 10 characters long.
• Use a mix of upper- and lower-case letters.
• Use numbers and symbols.
• Be creative. Smash words together or substitute numbers for letters, but make sure you can still remember your password.

Stay away from using personal information like your birthday, social security number, middle name, or the names of your kids.

2. Be Smart About Security Questions

 Security questions are often used to verify your identity when you forget a password, or as an extra layer of security. This means the answers to your security questions deserve your attention, just like your password. The trouble with security questions is the nature of what is being asked. It could be that you’ve already advertised your first car or where you went to elementary school on a social media post that is easy to find. Choose secure questions AND answers that are more difficult to guess. Better yet, create a special password to use just for answering security questions. If you have an option to use an alternative identity verification, like two-factor or biometric data, that could be a safer choice.

 3. Make a New Email Addresses

Create separate email addresses for different purposes. The email address you use for banking or finance should be separate from the one connected to your social media account. This helps you keep information organized and prevents problems if one account is hacked.

4. Only Visit Credible Websites

It is very easy for a fake or fraudulent website to be created, so look for clues that a website is a safe place to visit online. The website URL should have “HTTPS” in the address. The “s” is a sign the website is secure. There should be a padlock symbol next to the URL as well. Additional tips include:

• If you need to login to a website, use a two-step verification whenever available.
• Do not download media illegally as these are likely to include viruses.
• If you encounter a website with explicit content or tons of advertisements, they are often not secure and do not click on anything.

5. Use Social Media Carefully 

Social media can be a great way to network and communicate. Using it safely means knowing how to navigate what to share, when, and with whom. When using social media, consider the following pointers: 

• Exclude personal information like your birthday, phone number, and home address.
• Pay attention to privacy settings of each social media platform and stay up to date when they change.
• Don’t overshare vacation plans or check in online every time you leave the house. This makes it easy for burglars to know when your home is unprotected.
• Remember: If you post it online it will be there forever, and your boss or neighbor or grandma can see it.

Potential employers also look at what you post online, and there have been instances of current employees being fired for their online behavior after hours. Be smart about what you put on social networking sites. It is essential to protecting your employment opportunities, your identity, and your personal safety. Identity thieves use information gleaned from social media, but so do regular “old fashioned” burglars.

Use these suggestions to protect your identity online and continue using the internet as the great resource it is.

Holidays in the winter can be magical, but also can introduce fire hazards in your home. To prevent and prepare, check out the potential risks that may be present in your home during the holiday season. 

Take Care When Decorating

When decorating your fireplace mantel, be sure to keep combustible materials such as greenery or ribbons away from any possible spark or flame. Never hang stockings in front of a burning fire. This particular decoration could be hung when a fire is not lit but should be moved when the fireplace is in use. 

Keep candles away from items that easily catch fire, such as decorations, window treatments and paper. Also, be sure candles are kept far from children’s reach and are extinguished any time you leave the room. Candles are particularly easy to knock over or bump into, posing additional risk. 

Preparing the Holiday Feasts 

The kitchen may be the heart of your home, but cooking equipment is the leading cause of all home fires according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Cooking using the stovetop, microwave or conventional oven can easily spark fires. Heat sources can catch flammable materials like oven mitts and hand towels on fire, while cooking protein-rich foods without caution can result in grease fires, fire and smoke damage, and lingering, unpleasant odors and potentially toxic residue.

Related: Tips for Using a Turkey Fryer Safely

Remember to remain in the kitchen while food is cooking. As an extra precaution, keep an appropriately rated fire extinguisher within easy reach in the kitchen. Class B extinguishers are suitable to combat grease and oil fires.

Outlets & Electrical Operations

In addition to all the gadgets we use daily, the holiday season introduces items needing to be plugged in. When getting lights and cords out of storage, check to make sure there’s no damage or fraying as this can spark an electrical fire. Look for testing labels that certify the safety of your electrical appliances and equipment. If an appliance is old or the safety label is missing, consider getting a professional inspection or replacement.

If you are plugging in a decorated tree, this should be positioned at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Remember to unplug electronics when not in use, including holiday lights.

Following the opening of gifts, do not burn used wrapping paper in the fireplace as it may cause intense flash fires. Consider recycling these wrappings instead. Enjoy the holidays and the beauty and joy that comes with them while keeping you and your family safe!

Severe winter weather can be both intimidating and dangerous for automobile travel. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that over 500,000 automobile accidents in the United States are caused each year by snow, sleet, and ice on the nation's roads, highways, and freeways. And nearly 2,000 motorists per year are killed due to these treacherous weather conditions.

Know Before You Go

During the winter season, prepare yourself to safely drive your vehicle in cold weather conditions:

• Never warm up the vehicle in an enclosed area, such as a garage, even with the garage door open.
• Check your vehicle’s antifreeze, battery, and windshield wiper fluid.
• Keep tires properly inflated and check the treads.
• Make sure your vehicle’s headlights, taillights, and flashers work as expected.
• Dress warmly, keep your charged cell phone by your side, make sure you have at least half a tank of gas, and bring an emergency kit with you. Include items such as blankets, jumper cables, a shovel, a flashlight, salt, and water as part of your kit.
• If planning a long-distance trip, check the weather report and delay the trip if bad road conditions are expected. 

Staying Safe on the Winter Road

To help in case you encounter a dangerous situation on the road this winter, here are some winter driving tips: 

• Accelerate or decelerate slowly on snow or ice. Drive slower than normal.
• The normal following distance of 4 seconds for dry pavement should be raised to 9 or 10 seconds for winter weather conditions, giving you a wider safety margin.
• Try not to power up hills, since applying extra gas on snow or ice-covered hills can start your wheels spinning. Instead, try to get more inertia prior to the hill since this momentum will help carry you to the top.
• Do not use cruise control when driving on ice and slippery surfaces.

Prepared for Winter Driving Challenges

Emergencies happen, so here are some tips to keep in mind:

• If you become snowbound, stay with your vehicle and phone for help.
• Tie a brightly covered piece of cloth to your antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled-up window to signal distress.
• Put your emergency flashers on. If possible, periodically start the engine and heater to maintain some level of warmth in your vehicle.

Review your auto insurance coverage to make sure you are covered for damage to vehicles from falling ice and tree limbs. Contact your IMT Agent if you have any questions about your car insurance policy.

A tornado is a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud with whirling winds that can be up to 300 miles per hour. Tornadoes, which spin off from powerful thunderstorms, can devastate property and neighborhoods in seconds. They can cause injury and, in some cases, be fatal for people who are caught in them. Damage paths can be one mile wide and 50 miles long.

What to Do Before a Storm

Prior to any tornado conditions occur, it is important to identify trusted sources to provide local forecast and weather alerts. A “watch” is when conditions are favorable for a tornado to form, and a “warning” is when a tornado has been spotted in your area and you should take shelter immediately. 

Know the Warning Signs

If local authorities issue a tornado watch, remain alert for approaching storms, watch the sky, and stay tuned to the radio or television. Some danger signs include:

• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail
• A large, dark, low-lying cloud that may be rotating
• A loud roar like a freight train

Have a Plan to Seek Shelter 

If local authorities issue a tornado warning, take shelter immediately. Basements and storm cellars are the best choices. If no underground shelter is available, choose an interior room or hallway on the lowest floor possible. Stay away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Layers of clothes, bike helmets, even a mattress, can be pulled over your head to protect you from flying debris. 

Related: Prepare Commercial Properties for Tornadoes & Severe Weather

What to Do During a Tornado

If there is a tornado in your vicinity, ensuring your personal safety (and those you care for) is most important. Should you find yourself away from home and unable to put your prior shelter plan in place, here are additional tips:

• If you are in a public building, look for the safe shelter signage for predesignated areas.
• If you are in a vehicle, trailer, or mobile home, get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a nearby, sturdy building or storm shelter.
• If you are outside with no shelter, lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Do not get under an overpass or bridge — you are safer in a low, flat location.

Watch out for falling poles, overhead lines, and flying debris. Most injuries and fatalities during tornadoes are caused by flying debris. Additionally, be aware of the flooding potential and other issues. Stay safe during tornado season. 

When temperatures drop and water freezes, homeowner issues can become a troubling reality. The damage caused from freezing conditions is typically covered by a homeowner insurance policy, there is usually a requirement that stipulates a homeowner has taken reasonable steps to prevent these losses.

How to Avoid Freezing Pipes

Properly maintaining pipes and drains, and keeping the house temperature warm, are easy ways to avoid freezing conditions. Additional tips include:

• Insulate pipes, especially those leading to the outside, and plug holes around the pipes with insulation or spray-in foam. Make sure there is warm air flowing around and under sinks to make sure they will get adequate heat.
• Set the heat in the home warm enough to avoid problems. At night, the heating system needs to circulate water through radiator and baseboard heating units to avoid freezing.
• Make sure there is clear access to the main water shut-off valve in case there is a leak or a pipe suddenly bursts.
• Open the water faucets in your sinks enough to allow a slow trickle of water to maintain the flow of water in the lines and help prevent freezing. Make sure your sink drains are open.

What is an Ice Dam?

An ice dam is an accumulation of frozen water in the gutter system and at the roof edge that prevents subsequent drainage of melting snow from leaving the roof/gutter system. Ice dams are common in areas that receive heavy snow buildups.

In most cases, ice dams begin inside the house, when heated air leaks up into the unheated attic. In the winter, the roof above the unheated attic is cold. When warm air leaks into the attic, it creates warm areas on the roof, which cause the snow on the exterior of the roof to melt. The melting snow moves down the roof slope until it reaches the cold overhang, where it refreezes. The process continues, causing ice to build up along the eaves and form a dam. Eventually, this dam forces the water to back up under the shingles and sometimes into the ceiling or wall inside the home. 

What Do Ice Dams Cause?

Ice dams can cause expensive damage or even a roof collapse. This phenomenon may cause structural framing members to decay, metal fasteners to corrode, and mold to form in the attic and the wall surfaces. 

Typical homeowner insurance policies do not pay for ice dam removal. Interior or exterior damage, however, caused by an ice dam on the roof is typically covered under a “special perils” homeowners form.

Tips to Prevent Ice Dams

• The services of a professional should be employed to remove heavy snow from your roof. This eliminates one of the ingredients necessary for the formation of an ice dam. Professionals are also able to address emergency situations in which water is flowing into the house structure. This is accomplished by making channels through the ice dam to allow the water behind the dam to drain off your roof. However, the channel becomes ineffective within days and is only a temporary solution to ice dam damage.
• Your ceiling/roof insulation should be increased to reduce heat loss by conduction. Some state codes require an R-value of 38 above the ceiling for new homes. In narrow spaces, insulation products with high R-value (6–7) per inch are recommended. It is imperative that the ceiling be made airtight to prevent warm air within your home from flowing into the attic space.
• Verify that there are sufficient soffit and gable end vents in your attic. These help to quickly vent any of the warm air that does get into the attic out into the atmosphere.

Be prepared this winter! If you have questions regarding what is covered on your homeowners policy, contact your local IMT Agent!

Delicious deep-fried turkey, historically prevalent in the southern states, is growing in popularity as a way to prepare this poultry for a meal. But the turkey fryer used to create this succulent dish is often unsafe and common cause of home fires. 

Turkey fryers are devices, resembling a large commercial coffee pot, that are not certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL). Turkeys are placed in the device that is filled with oil heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit which fries the bird. The big problem, though, is that people often fill the fryers too full of oil and it overflows when the bird is placed inside. This cascading oil hits the heating flames below, causing an instant fire. In addition, the turkey fryers are often quite unstable and easy to tip over. Lastly, many of these fryers lack adequate thermostat controls. Thus, the units have the potential to overheat the oil to the point of combustion. For these reasons, UL does not certify any turkey fryers with its trusted UL mark.

Safety Tips to Use a Turkey Fryer

UL and other safety organizations strongly urge people to discard their existing turkey fryers. But for those people who insist on using their turkey fryers, UL offers the following tips:

• Always use turkey fryers outdoors a safe distance from buildings and any other burnable materials.
• Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or in garages.
• Make sure the fryers are used on a flat surface to reduce the chance of accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer unattended since most units lack proper thermostat controls. If people do not watch the fryer carefully, the oil will continue to heat until it catches fire.
• Never let children or pets near the fryer when in use. Even after use, never allow children or pets close to the turkey fryer. The oil inside the cooking pot can remain dangerously hot for hours after use.
• To avoid oil spillover, do not overfill the fryer. Test it beforehand with water.
• Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching pot or lid handles. If possible, wear safety goggles to protect eyes from oil splatter.
• Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby.

In the season of gathering and enjoying meals with loved ones, stay safe and keep your turkey preparation calamity free.  

Experts say you may have as little as two minutes (or even less) to safely escape a typical home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Does your family have a home fire escape plan? 

According to the NFPA, less than half of Americans (48%) know that the correct components of a home fire escape plan include working smoke alarms, two ways out of each room and an outside meeting place. Nearly one quarter of Americans (23%) do not know that each room in the home should have at least two exits. Close to three in five Americans (57%) think that in a typical single-family home fire situation, once the smoke alarm sounds, the average person would have more than two minutes to escape safely.

When creating your Home Fire Escape plan, keep the following things in mind:

1. Map your home and exits to plan out all possible routes.

2. Hold fire drills in your home for your family.

3. Teach children how to escape on their own, in case you can't help them.

4. Help the fire department find you. Make sure the number of your home is clearly marked and easy for the fire department to find.

5. Close doors behind you as you leave — this may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. 

6. Once you get outside, stay outside. Never go back inside a burning building. 

In the event of an emergency, discuss and practice your Home Fire Escape Plan at least twice a year! 

Midwesterners are no stranger to snow, but when it comes to snow removal there are some safety considerations to keep in mind. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants to keep everyone safe when using snow throwers. There are frequent injuries reported when using snow blowers or throwers, including finger amputations. 

Snow Thrower Safety Tips

• If the auger or collector needs to be cleared, stop the engine and use a long stick. Do not use your hands.
• Keep all hands and feet away from moving parts of the snow thrower machine.
• Do not leave the machine running in an enclosed space.
• If it is fuel-powered, add gasoline to the tank outdoors before starting the engine. Never add to a running or hot machine.
• If it is electric-powered, be aware of the electrical cord at all times.

Snow Shovel Safety Tips

• Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.
• Take it slow and stretch out before you begin.
• Shovel only fresh, powdery snow; it's lighter.
• Push the snow as much as possible rather than lifting it.
• When lifting snow, use a small shovel and lift with your legs (not your back.

Cold weather can increase heart rate and blood pressure. It can make blood clot more easily and constrict arteries, which decreases blood supply. This is true even in healthy people. Be careful when working outdoors to clear your property after a snow fall.

Related: Ways to Avoid Frost Bite & Hypothermia

Thunder and lightning storms happen all the time. If you hear thunder, that means you are within striking distance of lightning. Lightning strikes and lightening fires can be destructive. If a person is struck by lightning, call 9-1-1 and get medical care immediately. Lightning strike victims carry no electrical charge — attend to them immediately. Check their breathing, heartbeat, and pulse. CPR may be needed.

Lightning Storm Safety Tips

• Take shelter inside a home, large building, or a hard-topped vehicle right away. Stay away from windows and doors; wait at least 30 minutes after the last thunder before leaving your shelter.
• Unplug appliances and other electrical items, like computers, and turn off air conditioners. If you are unable to unplug them, turn them off.
• Stay off corded phones, computers, and other electronic equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity or plumbing.
• If you are in or on open water, go to land and seek shelter immediately.

Common Myths About Lightning

1. Lightning always strikes the tallest object. While tall, pointy objects are more prone to strikes, lightning can strike any object, regardless of size or height.
2. Cars are safe because of rubber tires. Most vehicles are safe because the metal roof and sides divert lightning around you, not because of the tires. It's important to note that vehicles like convertibles and motorcycles offer no protection!
3. If you can't get inside, go under a tree. Heading under a tree is more dangerous and you should avoid it. If lightning does hit the tree, there's a chance a ground charge will spread from the tree in all directions.   
4. If you're caught in a storm, lie flat on the ground to be safe. If you feel your hair stand on end, that means lightning is about to strike. Squat low to the ground on the balls of your feet. Place your hands over your ears and your head between your knees. Make yourself the smallest target possible and minimize your contact with the ground. 

The holiday season can include shopping for gifts. From special deals and online sales, purchasing gifts for others (or yourself) can make the season bright. Unfortunately, the holiday season is also a heightened opportunity for thieves. Below are some tips to help you shop and travel smartly this holiday season.

Keep Packages Safe in Your Vehicle

Especially on big shopping days, unlocked cars are an easy target. And while loading up on gifts can be a sign of shopping progress, if they are easily seen once in the car this can make for an enticing target. Keep any purchased items out of clear view.

Plan for Package Deliveries

Stealing delivered packages is not uncommon during the holidays. Packages left outside might also make thieves believe you’re out of town. Consider when and where you are having items shipped to you, and consider using a work address instead of your home.

Shop Smart When Online

Fake and unscrupulous internet retailers exist. Be suspicious of unbelievably low prices compared to other vendors. If you stick with stores you know, you may avoid sending your credit card to a thief. Make sure that your computer security software installs updates regularly. And make sure your operating system is also up to date.

Travel Carefully

Leaving home for a holiday trip? Don’t post this information publicly—be aware of your social media privacy settings. Keep track of your wallet, purse, phone, and valuable jewelry. Make sure when packing that anything with a high monetary value or that would be difficult to replace does not go in checked luggage. If in a hotel, use a safe or safe deposit box for jewelry or high value items. 

The holidays can be filled with celebrations and joy if precautions are taken. One can never be too aware, too prepared, or too careful.

When weather is cold, spending prolonged time in these conditions could put you at risk for frost bite or even hypothermia. From outdoor sports to working outside, being aware of weather conditions will help you plan ahead.  

Frost bite is the most common injury resulting from exposure to severe cold, and it usually occurs on fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin. Deep frost bite is most serious and can result in amputation. Hypothermia occurs when the body's temperature drops below 95 degrees and can result in death.

Before venturing outside for work or play, be sure to: 

• Check the temperature and limit your time outdoors if it's very cold, wet or windy
• Bundle up in several layers of loose clothing
• Wear mittens rather than gloves
• Cover your ears with a warm hat
• Wear socks that will keep your feet warm and dry

Take precautions and stay warm this winter!