Tips to Avoid Identity Theft, security, Businesses and consumers, protect you from identity theft, identity theft, protect your information
Identity theft is when someone steals your personal information and
uses it without your knowledge for things like purchases, medical care or tax-related
activities.
With the flow of information and technology, it is easier for people to
gather information about you than ever before. Businesses and consumers can
better protect themselves with a few tactics:
1.
Create strong passwords and do not share them.
Don’t write them down next to your computer or share them with individuals.
Create passwords that someone could not guess by looking at your Facebook page.
Include capital letters and symbols or numbers in the password to strengthen
the security.
2.
Protect your privacy on social media. Regularly
check your privacy settings (especially on Facebook) to ensure only people you
know can see your information.
3.
Protect your social security number. Do not
share your social security number over the phone, through the mail or online
without understanding exactly what it is for and how it will be used.
4.
Use security software. Install antivirus
software on your computer to protect your information from being hacked or
stolen. The software can be set to automatically scan your computer on a
regular basis and look for viruses that can compromise your personal
information.
5.
Ignore phishing emails. Phishing emails are fake emails sent to
individuals impersonating a company. These fake emails will contain links to
viruses or spyware used to gather and steal personal information. Never click
on emails, attachments or links from people you do not know or that ask for you
to enter personal information or account numbers.
6.
Check website security. Be cautious when sending
personal information such as banking numbers, account numbers or credit card
data online, especially when using a public Wi-Fi network. Check the website to
make sure the data will be encrypted or is on a protected network. A good way
to tell if a website is secure is to look for the lock icon on the status bar
of your browser when you are on the website.
Being aware and taking necessary precautions as listed above can help
protect you from identity theft. Ask questions. Keep information secure. Know
who is using your information. For more information on protecting yourself and
what to do if you encounter identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission
website.
Written by:
Noah
Gamer is a driven business leader with experience in
Internet marketing, Web software development and eCommerce. Currently, he
develops security
solutions for Trend Micro.
