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Identity Thieves Steal Your Mail Before They Steal Your Identity

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

One of the most common ways an identity thief steals your identity is by first stealing your mail. That is why everyone should have a mail box that locks. Most new homes are now built with mail boxes that lock and if you have one of the old kind that you just pull open, you should upgrade to a locking model. If an ID thief is successful in stealing your mail, you may never even know what he has stolen. Until it is too late, that is.

Do you get those pre-approved credit card applications in the mail at least once a week? Those are exactly what an ID thief is after. Identity thieves will take your credit card application and change the address to their address or PO box and then send it in. They are hoping to get a brand new credit card sent to them in your name, without you even knowing it.

That is the reason why those pre-approved credit card application everyone gets in the mail are so bad and should be banned. They have personal information already on them and you don’t even have to fill them out! It is terribly annoying to get them so often and I have to make sure I shred them and not just throw them away.

You should pay particular attention to all junk mail that has any of your personal information on it. You need to make it as hard as possible for identity theft to happen by making sure you shred that kind of mail. An ID thief is always on the lookout for something that he can use to pretend to be you and send in. Department store credit applications are a similar type of mail that you need to make sure you shred.

It is a much different world we live in today than just 10 years ago. We all now seem to have multiple accounts online and so many passwords a normal person has to write them all down just to keep track. We have multiple credit cards as well and many have more than one bank account. We pay our bills online and it can all be overwhelming.

It is for this reason that it is more important than ever to keep track of all your accounts and passwords and protect them from prying eyes and thieves. The “prfession” of being an identity thief is now more prevalent than ever because there are so many new ways an ID thief can get access to your information. The only way to fight back is to be aware of everything you do and make sure you try your best to keep your private information hidden.

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Seven Steps to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft on Shared Computers

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Personal computers are widespread and shared computers are a popular means for internet access. These “public” computers exist in libraries, colleges, coffee house cyber cafes, and other places. They are popular because they offer quick, convenient access to the world wide web. Unfortunately, they are also very popular with identity thieves because they present an easy means to access the personal information of others. Just recently, a young twenty- two year old former Drexel University student pleaded guilty to identity theft and she openly admitted stealing more than $116,000 worth of money through various schemes.

Credit cards, banks, and even online sites that are not used to transact business still contain personal data that needs to be protected and this problem is compounded further with shared computers. Are there ways to protect against this type of theft when using a shared computer? Let’s take a look:

Protecting Your Identity:

Shared computers are common in many places, like libraries, schools, hotels, coffee house cyber cafes, etc. Remembering these simple precautions can help keep your personal information your own:

Never select the “Remember My ID” box:

Many web sites offer the option to remember your personal id on that particular computer. This offers added convenience, but this option should never be selected on a shared computer. If an ID is remembered, it will be stored on the shared computer and will likely remain logged into the web site, offering a thief easy access your personal data.

Never Save Passwords:

Similar to the option to “remember my id”, many web sites offer to save your password. This option is usually presented when you logon and it is intended as a convenience measure. With shared computers, however, passwords should never be saved. If an identity thief logs onto a site with a saved password, there is no doubt what will happen next. The thief will already have your password and will logon immediately to seek your personal information.

Don’t Forget to Sign Out Completely:

Signing out is as important as not selecting the options to remember your personal ID and password. You should always remember to sign out of all web sites. If you remain signed in, your account will be openly accessible to identity thieves. It’s like placing your logon id and password on a silver platter and turning over to an identity thief.

Begin the Habit of Changing Passwords Frequently:

Changing passwords is a good idea whether a computer is shared or not, but it is especially important on a shared computer for two important reasons: spyware and malware. If a shared computer becomes infected by spyware or malware, these programs will quickly obtain your password and logon id combination because spyware and malware record every key stroke made on the infected computer. To avoid this problem, change passwords frequently using a non- shared pc.

Erase the Contents of the Browser’s Cache:

Personal computers contain copies of all the web sites visited. This cache needs to be cleared, if possible, after using a shared computer. Some libraries, colleges, and other places do not permit individual access to this area, but it doesn’t hurt to check upon logging off, just to see if it is possible.

Don’t Sign Into a Shared Computer and Walk Away:

This sounds simple enough, but the temptation to logon to a shared computer at a library, school, hotel, or cyber café and walk away for a quick break or other purpose is always present. Giving into this temptation might satisfy a hunger pang or the urge for a drink, but while away from the computer, an identity thief could quickly walk over to the abandoned pc and access whatever personal information is exposed in front of him/her. To be completely safe, get into the habit of logging off immediately before taking a break when you use a shared computer. Even a short break of a few minutes is enough time for a determined thief to obtain personal information.

Avoid Transactions That Involve Secure Financial Data

Shared computers should always be avoided when logging into web sites that contain any type of personal financial data. This includes sites used for banking, purchases, and other sites that contain secured data stored in the site. Web sites like blogs do not usually contain the sensitive information that an identity thief wants and are thus less important. However, a site like a bank, brokerage service, or online store contains extensive amounts of personal information including access to financial data. You don’t ever want to compromise something as important as your money.

Shared computers are popular and they can be found in libraries, schools, hotels, and other places. They offer convenience, and this is the primary reason for their popularity. However, with this added convenience comes the added chance for identity theft. A single shared computer can easily be accessed by hundreds of people each day, making it critical that individuals take the necessary precautions to prevent theft of personal information. Taking some simple steps like the ones listed above can help prevent identity theft before it begins. These steps won’t prevent one- hundred percent of the instances of identity theft, but they will greatly reduce the chances for falling victim to this type of online crime.

Internet Security and Anti-virus Software – Why Buy It?

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Let’s talk a little about the impact of viruses, Internet related threats and how they effect your computer and privacy.

First off, is it really necessary to have anti-virus and firewall software installed on your computer? Afterall, with only 200 new threats created daily, who really cares? Is it really that big of a deal if hackers are able to access your computer, look through your data, user names, passwords, and account information? Seriously, is identitiy theft really that important to you? Or what about the viruses that cause your computer to go so slow you think you will never be able to load your Internet browser. Why should you worry about malware that can cause your system files to be destroyed or your favorite family photos stored on your computer to disappear in an instant? Does it concern you that your email can be sent to thousands of spam sites and pop-ups are all over your screen offering you software to fix your computer?

Any idea what causes these types of issues? How about malware, which broken down is short for malicious software such as viruses, trojans, worms, rootkits, spyware, adware, I think you get the point. Oh wait, I forgot, you have a customized super sized computer that is not vulnerable to viruses. When I hear people tell me this, I tend to wait and act surprised when they come back saying, “oh no, I got a virus”.

It does not matter how sophisticated your computer is, you are vulnerable to malware! If you don’t have internet security software installed on your pc, you are at risk of being infected with viruses, spyware and even hackers that want nothing more than to steal your information.

So what should you do now that you already have viruses on your computer? Well you could download the latest internet security software and hope it will detect, delete or repair the infected files. Many times you will have to do a re-format of your harddrive which will cause you to lose everything on your computer so be sure to save what you want first. If you do a re-format, it has to be done properly, or it will not delete the viruses. I would recommend you to contact your local computer shop.

Although Internet security and anti-virus software will protect you against these threats, no software is guaranteed to block 100% of all malware. Many of these threats are found on websites that you visit and files that you download such as video’s, music and pictures. If you use peer to peer file sharing, I am sure you already know all about viruses and spyware. Want a hint? Stop downloading from those sites and you will stop getting viruses.

Okay, here are a couple internet security software programs I recommend that offer the best protection, features and support. First is Security Shield 2008, this is a rebrand of F-Secure and is absolutely amazing and easy to use. Another is Kaspersky Internet Security, another well designed software program with hourly updates.

Five Threats to your Internet Security

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Internet is a very scary place. If you don’t have internet security software, you are playing a risky game. That’s a very simple and direct statement but a powerful one. I am sure most PC users have had some form of malware on the PC. We all have been the victim of a virus, spyware, adware, phishing or spam mail. All these have the potential to cause crippling damage to your PC, threaten your privacy or expose to your personal information.

Since 2004 online shopping, banking and digital trading has increased 25% each year. If you are performing any of these actions without the aid of internet security software, you are being very foolish and making hackers very happy. It has never been more risky to shop online. The Spam/Spyware industry alone has become a billion dollar underground network. Your information is valuable. Hackers are will to invest time and resources to obtain. Therefore, it is more important than ever to learn how to combat these threats with internet security software and educate yourself on safe surfing techniques. Here are the top five threats to your internet security.

1. Spyware

Spyware is an all inclusive term that includes most malware such as Trojans, adware, pop up ads, modified cookies, keyloggers etc. This term does not include virus which is engineered to replicates itself, not spy or steal. Spyware is usually engineered to watch your online activity and uncover security flaws. This is usually the first step in setting you up for some time information theft. Hackers have developed sophisticated tools such as keyloggers that can record every key you type. Yes that means passwords, banking information, and email entries can be uncovered using this software. A quick tip is to avoid free anti-spyware. This has been proven to be ineffective and sometime can be spyware itself. Remember that spyware works by exposing flaws in your internet security. So search for the anti-spyware program with a major magazine endorsement. Here is a link for more information on spyware removal. Visit the site below for more info a products for spyware removal.

2. Identity Theft.

Hackers can steal your information by a variety of methods. Once this information is gained, it will be used to make online purchases using your credit card data, divert paychecks and create false documents. Usually the top internet security software comes with some protection against this problem. An internet security suite may be your best bet to protect your online information. Quick tips to protect yourself against online ID theft are never provide your credit card info to any site that does not offer multiple forms of internet security to protect your transaction. Another key factor to search for is a major secure payment processor logos and information. And last but not least, please read the internet security warning before the payment is processed. It only natural that you protect yourself against this internet security threat.

3. Spam Mail

Spam Mail itself is not dangerous. However Spam mail can have malicious links that can do everything from cause your PC to be infected by a virus, introduce spyware, and attract more spam. A good internet spam filter is usually a good option. Using internet security software and some common sense will help you avoid be inundated with spam mail. Quick internet security tip: When typing your address into the net. Try using a combination of 13 letters and numbers. This will make it very difficult for address to be added spam mail list.

4. Phishing Mail

There is not doubt that you may have heard the term “phishing”. If you haven’t, you soon will because it’s a major internet security threat. This method has become one of the more popular ways to stealing vital information such as user names and password. This works by sending messages to your email account pretending to be trusted sites such as eBay, Paypal or your bank. The links redirect you to a fake site that mimics the trusted site. You type in your personal information and hacker using it to make online transactions with your info or your money. This is real threat to you internet security. The best way to avoid this is to update your web browser with phishing detection. Also other internet security software packages have great phishing detection systems such as Webroot’s Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite.

5. You!!

That’s right maybe the factor the poses the biggest threat to your internet security. Social engineering such as clicking on obvious spam mail links, downloading freeware and sharing files is a very dangerous practice on the net. By just investing in the best software and updating regularly, could save you from frustration and identity theft. This is the one category where the bargain bin should be avoided. Also, never download anything that is sent to your mail unless you have scanned it for spyware and viruses. However, in the age of digital sharing people often buck internet security by trading pictures, movies and files without hesitaion.

Are you surprised that computer viruses didn’t make the Top 5 internet security threats? There are several reasons for this is not considered the number one internet security threat. One is that the hackers have been shying away from the use of viruses because the technology is mint to disrupt and destroy your internet security. However, spyware is easier to develop and much more effective. Also, most computer users and Windows developers have taken the steps to protect themselves. Anti-virus programs are quite good and can usually respond to new viruses by updating the signature databases daily.

All in all you are responsible for that steps you take online. However, there is no need to risk loosing your valuable data or money because of lack of PC maintenance. Upgrade your computer by increases the amount of internet security measures. Feel confident that you done everything to protect yourself and enjoy everything the net has to offer.

Avoid Rogue Security Program SecureAntivirusPro

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

As you have no doubt guessed from the title, SecureAntivirusPro is a rogue security program designed by hackers to con innocent people. Disguised as a legitimate antispyware application, this program advertises incessantly to the user, informing them that severe security threats reside on their PC. This program in itself is an infection, and should be removed at once to prevent further problems from occurring.

You will recognize this application by its many symptoms. Annoying pop-up ads, a slow running computer and redirection of your browser are common. You may also see that your home page has mysteriously changed, or that new shortcuts are on your desktop. SecureAntivirusPro hijacks your browser, sending you to websites you did not intend to visit. Frequently, your computer will freeze up, or you may even experience the blue screen of death. These rogues are nothing to fool around with!

Where do these malicious applications come from? Usually, they are installed through trojans when you download freeware, music, games and other software. They can also come from visiting questionable websites. The user is not usually aware that they are downloading anything that could potentially harm their computer, as these files hide in the background.

If left on your PC, SecureAntivirusPro is capable of installing additional malware. It will also track your search queries, the websites you visit and personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers. It can really cause serious damage to not only your PC, but your personal identity as well. Remove this application at once when you discover that it resides on your computer.

Manual removal is possible, but should only be attempted by an expert. This delicate process requires complete removal of all related files, which can be difficult as these files hide from the user and are extremely difficult to locate. A reliable antispyware application should be used to insure that all infections and parasites are completely removed.

Legitimate antispyware software will scan your PC for trojans, worms, parasites and other security threats. It will then remove them, and restore security. For best results, use a program that is guaranteed to remove 100% of security threats and infections with only one scan. An excellent product will also protect your computer from future infection.

To scan your pc for free and find out if you have SecureAntivirusPro click here.