Being a victim of identity theft is an experience that you won’t wish even for your least favourite person. Unscrupulous individuals will try to impersonate you and open accounts using your data to cause havoc in your financial and personal life – all in the comfort of their own homes! All they need to have are your personal information and they would be free to do whatever they want; that’s why you need to keep your personal information safe. Below are some tips on how you can prevent identity theft online.
Keep an Eye Out for Phishing Websites
Phishing websites often look like legitimate ones but the truth is that they’re designed to get your username, password, and other important information such as your address, name, and social insurance number to be used for nefarious purposes.
If a website asks you for some information such as your driver’s license number, bank account number, health insurance information (and ID), credit card number, home address, home phone number, and social insurance number without a valid reason then it might be best to call the website’s number to ask why.
Shop on Reputable Sites Only
If you love online shopping, then make sure that the website you are using is a trusted one and uses encryption protocol for processing payments.
Install an Anti-Malware And/Or Anti-Virus Program
Keyloggers and backdoors can get access to your system after being installed a number of ways but this can be thwarted when you have an anti-malware and anti-virus program on your computer.
Use Unique Passwords for Each Website You Use
Emails are quite easy to hack and if you are using the same password on your email at other websites, then criminals can easily access your other accounts. If you’re finding it troublesome to remember different passwords at a time, then using tools such as Keepass or Lastpass should do the trick.
Monitor Your Credit Profile
If your credit card is being used to make fraudulent purchases, the sooner that you catch it the better. Your credit profile will help you be alerted for something like this before it is too late.
Secure Your Wireless Network
A non-secure or non-encrypted wireless connection leaves you vulnerable to attackers who can then steal any information that passes your wireless connection. That includes passwords, websites you visit, usernames, etc. adding a passkey or password to your wireless connection can help minimize your identity theft risk.
OpenDNS not only speeds up your internet connection, it also filters for websites that has been reported or marked as dangerous.
Download Software Only from Reputable Sources
Running software from unknown sources can mean installing malware to your computer. Even screensavers, games, and crackz can be harboring nasty stuff like Trojans so not just relying on your anti-virus program is key to keeping your identity safe.
Don’t Share Too Much Details on Social Media
If you post details such as your favourite flower, your middle name, your pet’s name, your birthdate, and preferred places to hang out in via social media, then you’re basically making it very easy for you to be targeted by criminals who are out to steal your identity. Check your privacy settings and make sure that you are not sharing more than what is needed publicly.