Thanks for voting!By Rob Weaver, Head of ING DIRECT’s IT Security
Second in a series on protecting yourself against ID Theft online. October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
Online security is a partnership - between you and your bank, your online retailer or your online social media site. Let’s assume they’re all doing their part to prevent ID theft. Are you holding up your end of the bargain? You might think you are, but it’s been said that the biggest security flaw for most computers lies somewhere between the keyboard and the chair. And no, you can’t blame the mouse.
Surfing the net is a good time. You can shop, do research, find a new place to live and chat with friends a thousand miles away. But if you want to avoid infecting your hard drive, stay away from sites with questionable content. Like taking a wrong turn off the main highway, things can get a little harrowing when in unfamiliar territory. Rule of thumb: Stay on the main roads, obey the traffic signs and only make pit stops where you know the bathrooms sparkle.
A red flag should go up if you are receiving emails from ‘banks’ asking you to confirm your sign-in credentials or account information. Think phishing. Any email solicitations from legitimate organizations will have a matching email address domain to their website; if you aren’t sure about an email offer, go directly to the company’s website to verify it. For those who can’t put down the handheld, don’t click links or open attachments in suspicious emails, IMs, tweets, facebook status updates or pop-ups.
Still looking for ways to secure your info? Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Fighting Back Against Identity Theft.
Up Next: Online Security: Is your PC secure?
Loading ...
Phishing is most common mechanism used by the ID thieves to lure in victims. Last week, I recieved an email which has everything to show its coming from IRS. It was so close to avoid its not from IRS. But I remembered IRS never communicate via emails if they want to update your account. I immediately deleted. I have seen philshing emails from Chase and Bank of amercia email address. I am sure many of you come across atleast once in last few months. So be wary of clicking any links or taking action on emails from financial instituations and government organizations.
Do create awareness among family members about ID theft and request them to stay away websites which has popup ad’s. AVG is a free and famous anti-virus software which also idenfies anything fishy in your internet browsing as well. For more info, do check my blog about recent/popular scams. http://moneyreallymatters.com/content/identity-theft-2-aware-tacky-internet-scams
Now from Microsoft free virus, spyware & malware detection software (Microsoft Security Essentials) for home users: http://www.microsoft.com/security_essentials/