Identity Theft Tips

Do you have the password 123456 on any of your accounts? How about 224466? If you do, it’s not surprising. It is dangerous though, and you should change it right away – and not to 1234567. A recent story published in the New York Times stated that one of every five people who has an account on the Web uses a password that can easily be guessed. In addition to 12345, 123456, and 12345678, these easily guessed passwords include “password,” “chocolate,” “monkey” and – of course – 654321. And of course you know, that if your password is guessed you will be exposing yourself to identity theft and fraud.

While you may think of yourself as a unique individual, the truth is that, as humans, we tend to follow the same habits as others. This includes what we think of when we decide on account passwords. According to Amichai Shulman, who works for Imperva, a security firm, a significant number of people pick from a surprisingly small pool of options. Imperva performed an analysis of passwords on a list leaked through a data breach that had nothing to do with Imperva and discovered that 20 percent of the 32 million passwords recovered were repeats of a sampling of just 5,000. Unbelievable no.

It’s perfectly normal to want to choose a simple password, seeing as how you may have several online accounts, not to mention accounts on your cell phone. However, identity thieves know people are doing this, and they are not hesitant to take advantage. They are even having success accessing “secure” accounts that lock a user out after a few incorrect password guesses. They simply have to know how many times they can guess incorrectly and then return once those requests have timed out. Also, since a lot of thieves have sophisticated technology on their hands, they can attack hundreds of accounts at a time until they get a “bite.”

So what is a consumer to do? Simple. Change your passwords. You don’t have to make every single one different from the rest, but you do have to make them different from what other people will likely use. First of all, forget commonly used words or sequential numeric sequences, whether forwards or backwards. Next, forget things like your first name or your birthday – or your first name and your birthday. Finally, get out of the common mold of a password that is five or six characters in length. Make yours longer, as long as you can realistically stand to type in each time you sign in — and use special characters, not just letters and not just numbers. See this post to see why strong passwords are needed to protect your identity.

Thieves will likely stick to the status quo as far as length goes when they try to hack accounts. They will also likely stick to the most common passwords since they will give them the best results. Make sure those results do not mean access to your information. Of course, give more attention to your bank accounts and other super secure information, but don’t allow thieves to guess your passwords for items such as your Facebook profile either. Once they get access to these accounts, it only makes it more likely they can get to the bigger fish.

Want to learn more about how you can protect your identity? View our quick comparison chart to see what an identity theft protection company can do for you. To dig in even deeper read our reviews.

If you haven’t heard of cybersquatting, I’m sure you’ve at least seen it. It’s probably happened when you decided to guess at the website address for a popular company only to be led instead to a site full of random links, pop up ads or worse. That’s because the site is owned by a cybersquatter, who is capitalizing on the name to reap a profit.

However, there are cybersquatters that are even more vindictive. Some use their similar domain names to create similar sites so they can steal people’s personal information. That’s right. Again, it’s the identity thieves. Another practice that the thieves use is to watch popular websites to see when they are up for renewal. As soon as their registrations expire, the thieves jump on the domains and set up the sites as their own. This is sometimes known as “renewal snatching.”

In 2008, there were over 2,329 complaints filed in regards to cybersquatting, proving that the practice is a serious problem. It could get worse instead of better as more and more generic top level domain names (.com, .net, .tv, etc.) are becoming available. This means consumers will have to be increasingly savvy about where they are on the net; not just where they think they are. If you’re ever not sure about the legitimacy of a site, do not enter personal information on it. Instead, contact the company that supposedly owns the site using contact information that you know is correct. If you don’t have any legitimate contact information, don’t do business with that organization.

Even when being careful, it can be hard to keep yourself completely safe from online identity thieves. That makes it important to have a backup plan, so to speak. A good way to do so is to purchase an identity theft protection plan. That way, even if identity thieves do somehow acquire a piece of your personal information, you will find out as soon as possible; not after the thief has purchased a yacht or fled from the States to Brazil. This will make it easier to get your accounts corrected right away and hopefully catch the thief in his or her tracks.

No matter how hard authorities work to find and prosecute cybercriminals, the reality is that they are here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Every time one crime is thwarted, there are two, three or even a dozen more already in the works. Because the Web is so vast and all encompassing, there is really no way to police all of it. Thus, the burden falls on the consumer.

While identity theft protection can certainly help to keep you safe, you still have to teach your family members to follow your example and be careful what information they make available online, whether it’s on a message board or a through a form at a supposedly secure website. Make sure you know who you’re submitting your information to at all times. Who knows when it will actually be an eager identity thief if you are not quite careful enough.

With Black Friday behind us and Christmas just around the corner many are tempted to use the computer to begin their holiday shopping. With big named companies tempting consumers with ‘lower than average’ pricing to be found only on their website, it seems like now would be a good time to shop online.

Be careful though. Don’t let the low prices fool you. Despite the savings to be found with online companies, the price you pay may be well worth more than you can afford. Now is not the time to lose focus on keeping your personal information just that – personal. Despite the temptation to find those ‘amazing’ deals online, be wary of the websites you are visiting.

The following ten pointers will help you prevent online identity theft.

1. Protect Your Computer
Especially with the holiday season approaching, now is the time to ensure your virus protection software is up to date. Make sure your firewall is in place, your anti-spyware is working and updated with the most current information provided. Your security levels while you are on the internet need to be set as well. Ensuring they are placed at a minimum of ‘medium’ while browsing is essential. You can find out what your security level is by going to Tools and then Internet Options. If you are using a wireless connection – make sure it is secured!

2. Update Your Software
Whether you use Firefox, Windows or other web browsers when online, always make sure you have the latest version. The sophistication of the latest virus is mind boggling on its own. It’s essential that you take advantage of the updates as soon as they become available. You can have this done automatically or you can check on your own.

3. Don’t trust the websites
Just because they say they have been in business for years or if their website looks fancy, don’t take their word for it. Research their online presence, as for opinions, do whatever you can before you give them your personal information. Make sure that little lock symbol is in place when you are purchasing an item from them. Never click on a website link that is sent to you in an email. Instead, physically type in the address of the website on your browser. There is malicious programming out there designed for those who haven’t done their research. By clicking on a link, it can lead you to a site that ‘looks’ legitimate but really isn’t.

4. Change you Passwords
It is a good idea to change your passwords regularly for websites you attend frequently. Never use the same password for financial websites and most importantly do not create a password that is easily recognizable to you. Alternate your passwords regularly. With today’s software, it is best to change your password monthly, especially on those websites that contain your personal banking information. Another good practice is to avoid using names or words from the english dictionary and to mix in letters, numbers and symbols.

5. Protect your Information
With over 8 million American’s becoming the victim of Identity Theft this year alone, it is essential that you take the necessary steps in protecting all your information. Only give out the necessary information when filling out a vendor’s purchasing agreement. Don’t click on surveys where you need to fill out your address and phone number, never give out your information unless necessary. Always check any website’s privacy policy before you give them your credit card information or name and address.

6. Protect Your Credit Information
Before you enter your credit card information onto that website, make sure it is secure. If you don’t see a closed padlock on the bottom of your website or at the top of the browser – do not buy! That is the most important thing you can do! Always make sure that the beginning of the website’s address changes to either shttp or to https when you are about to enter your credit information.

7. Payment Options
There are a variety of payment options available now when purchasing online. Paypal and your credit cards are normally the best options. If you do use credit cards, it is best to have one card that has a lower limit to it for internet purchases. Monitor this card to ensure it doesn’t get used by others. Another benefit to using a credit card is that you are protected if someone does steal your information and uses your card for purchases. When you keep an eye on your credit card statements and notice any unusual activity, it is best to inform your credit card company right away.

8. Keep Accurate Records
It is really important that you keep accurate records of every transaction you complete online. Print off the confirmation page, product descriptions that include pricing, print your receipts and all emails from the seller. If there is a discrepancy, report it.

9. Turn off Your Computer
When you leave your computer running 24/7, you leave it open to those who have the ability to install malicious software on your computer. Protect yourself. Shut your computer off at night and during the day when you are not home. Those extra minutes it takes to load up your computer are worth it (despite the hassle).

10. Email Safety
Never open an email if you don’t recognize the sender. Use your junk folders wisely. Never click on a link that you don’t recognize and most important never give out your personal information just because an email tells you to!

If you use these ten pointers during this holiday season, your online identity theft protection has increased significantly. It is important that you don’t forget about internet and computer safety just because a website is promising you a steal of a deal. No matter how great that deal is – it’s never worth your security. Identity theft is a real threat, one that becomes even more real for those who take their protection lightly. Don’t be one of the millions of Americans who experience Identity Theft in 2010. Afterall, there should be only one of you.

Ahh … file sharing. It’s how you get all the free music and movies you want, if you don’t mind the FBI or the MPAA knocking on your door every once in a while. Although file sharing has lost much of its luster due to lawsuits, viruses and other negative things associated with it, it is still alive and well in many households and businesses.

Not only do some adults and the vast majority of teens love file sharing, so do – you got it – identity thieves. If you have file sharing software on your machine, or your child has it on his or hers, the thieves could get access to anything on the hard drive. This includes not only music, movies and pictures but stuff that they really want to see:
*Tax files
*Passwords
*Social Security Numbers
*Credit card statements
*Bank account numbers
*Confidential business information

It’s not hard for them to do either. All they have to do is type in a couple of key words and what’s yours can be theirs too. I’m all about sharing what you have with others, but there has to be a “within reason” clause. So be careful what you share.

Another way thieves gain access is by posting malware for you to download under the guise of your favorite song or movie. The downloaded “movie” then goes to work on your computer allowing the identity thief to tap in to all your information. You can protect yourself with internet security software from Norton, McAfee or whoever but keep in mind these are not full proof.

The easiest way to keep thieves out of your personal files is to remove all of the file sharing software from your machine and any others on your home network. As soon as you’ve removed it by physically uninstalling it via the add/remove programs screen turn off your computer. Don’t just let it restart itself or the software may not be removed properly.

Sadly, even if you do this correctly you may still be the victim of a file sharing thief. Even if you don’t have file sharing at home, someone could have it installed at the office. This doesn’t have to be your office either, just one that has some of your personal information.

It could be the office of a hospital where you’ve sought medical care or a law firm you visited for a consultation. It could be at a bank you use or a school you attend. If even one employee decides he or she would like to spend some time on Limewire, this could be all the thieves need to get access, especially if it is a higher level employee.

So basically you have two choices, you can either stop going to doctors, banks, schools or any business that takes credit cards or you can begin looking out for yourself further. Check your credit reports at all three bureaus at least once a year, look into some identity theft protection services and never give out personal information unless it is 100% required. If your hairdresser says he needs your Social Security number for the customer database, please take the time to ask why. Same with the video rental retailer. There is no reason to put one on your Blockbuster account.

If you don’t want to do any of these things, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article. But, hey, if you are, please at least lay off of the file sharing. You can still get free movies and music at the library.