Your computer may
be a gold mine of personal information and the
hackers know it. So, even if you have taken all
precautions, an identity thief may still pick
up personal information from your computer without
setting foot in your house.
Here are some tips to safeguard
your computer:
- Update your virus protection software regularly.
Without regular updates - your virus protection
software is incapable of protecting your PC
from latest viruses. Remember, viruses can wreck
havoc with your data including lifting your
personal files and distributing to all through
e-mail.
- Be on the alert for security repairs and
patches that you can download from your operating
system's website.
- Install a firewall system to stop hackers
access your computer while you are surfing the
Net, more so if you use high-speed Internet
connection like cable or DSL that leaves your
computer connected to the Internet 24 hours
a day.
- Never download files sent to you by strangers
or click on hyperlinks from people you don't
know. Opening a file attached to an e-mail expose
your system to a computer virus. Clicking at
unknown hyperlinks may take you to compromised
sites with mischievous codes.
- Use a secure browser - software that encrypts
or scrambles information you send over the Internet
- to guard the security of your online transactions.
Be sure your browser has the most up-to-date
encryption capabilities by using the latest
version available from the manufacturer. You
also can download some browsers for free over
the Internet. When submitting information, look
for the "lock" icon on the browser's
status bar to be sure your information is secure
during transmission.
- Try not to store financial information on
your laptop unless absolutely necessary.
- Before you dispose of a computer delete personal
information from its hard disk. Deleting files
using the keyboard or mouse commands may not
be enough as any hacker can recover so called
'deleted' files easily. Use a 'wipe out' or
'secure delete; utility to overwrite the entire
hard drive. That way - deleted files can never
be recovered.
- Similarly, carefully destroy old CD-ROMS,
Floppies and other computer media. Shred or
tear off old/discarded print-outs
Internet Resources on Identity
Theft:
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