It seems as if I can never give out enough advice regarding keeping yourself protected from identity theft. Although I’ve given out a great deal of advice, I have a few more tips that you can use to keep your personal information safe and protected.
Another simple step you can take in order to keep yourself protected is to make sure you always delete your personal information if you’re using a shared computer at a library or in the office. When setting up a computer, users are initially given the option to check a box that will set up the computer to remember your personal information the next time you log in. When using a shared computer terminal, always be sure the clear your “cookies” after your done using the machine. A computer that’s been cookie-enabled will automatically remember the password that you entered previously if you revisit the same site from the same computer, providing a thief an opportunity to access your passwords.
Clearing your cookies on a shared or public computer is easy.
If the machine utilizes the Internet Explorer browser, do the following:
- Click on “Tools”
- Go to “Internet Options”
- In the “Browsing History” tab, click on “Delete”
- Click on “Delete Cookies”
- Click “Yes” on the dialog box that says “Are you sure you want to delete all cookies in the Temporary Internet files folder”
If the machine utilizes Mozilla Firefox, do the following:
- Click on the “Tools” option at the top of the browser window.
- Select the “Clear Private Data” option
- Select all of the items in the “Clear Private Data” dialog box and then click “Clear Private Data Now” button.
In all honesty, you should try to avoid entering personal information into a computer that is not your own because you can never be sure what type of software is being employed on the machine. For example, keystroke logging software secretly records all keystrokes entered on a machine. If this type of software is being utilized, it won’t matter if you delete the information at the end of your session because it will have already been collected and stored.
Always keep your virus protection software and firewall security up-to-date on all of the computers that you use in order to provide the highest level of security protection. If you don’t do this, you’re just asking for trouble.
Regarding password selection, be certain to select passwords that aren’t completely obvious. Birth dates, pet names, hometowns, spouse names, children’s names, and personal interests are all common passwords. Avoid using any of words that could be easily associated with you personally as your passwords. Although these may be easy for you to remember, they are quite simply the easiest way that hackers can gain access to your accounts.
Also, you should never send personal information via email, including Social Security numbers, account numbers, and other personal information that can be easily intercepted when sent through email. Find secure ways to share the information if it must be sent to someone else.
There are no guarantees that you’ll be completely protected if you follow these simple guidelines, but it will certainly reduce your chances of being taken advantage of and having to deal with the fallout.
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