According to the Metropolitan Police, 93% of CVs posted online contain enough information to enable criminals to steal your identity. This information could be used to take out credit cards and loans in your name, access your accounts, seriously affect your credit rating and even gain a passport in your name.

Last year, the Guardian jobs website was hacked and earlier this year four and a half million users' personal details were stolen from the monster.co.uk website.

This doesn't give online jobseekers much confidence, yet, while there are pitfalls to applying for jobs online, when approached with caution, using good practice and keeping alert to possible scams, it is also an extremely effective channel that works very well for jobseekers. What are the best measures to take to safeguard your online CV? Here are some tips:

❍ Make sure the site you are posting to is genuine. There are some bogus ones that have been set up purely to collect CV data. Research online the site's reputation.

❍ Be wary of emails you get out of the blue inviting you to an interview (particularly in a field that is not your skill set), and be alert to those that request further personal details.

❍ Check that anyone you respond to with further information has a company domain name in their email address and not a host server address.

On your CV:

The following information should not be posted online