The internet is now used by millions of people worldwide; many on a daily basis. Many people do their banking and shopping online and gamers can play games online with other people from anywhere in the world. However, all this online activity has inevitably attracted the attention of criminals. It is possible to buy credit card details and even someone’s full identity details online. This may sound depressing, but there are steps that you can take to safeguard your personal information.
The passwords that you use to protect your accounts are important. You should never use personal information such as your date of birth or the maiden name of your mother. Passwords should consist of a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and if allowed, non-alphabetic characters. Change your passwords regularly, ideally around once a month. If you have several accounts do not use the same password for each account.
Phishing is a word to describe the technique used by a criminal who attempts to acquire others’ personal information such as passwords, usernames and credit card details, by sending what looks like a legitimate electronic communication, usually an e-mail or an instant message. Often these will direct the unsuspecting user to a fake website where they will be asked to enter their details. Always remember that no legitimate organization such as a bank will ever ask you for your details by sending you an e-mail. If you receive such an e-mail and you think it may be authentic, check first with the company that the e-mail purports to come from that it is genuine. Never click on links in e-mails unless you are sure they are genuine, go directly to the organization’s website in your browser. If you do click through on a link check the URL carefully. If the site isn’t genuine you will find that part of it is misspelled or it uses a different domain name. If you have any suspicions at all, close the link immediately. The best way to do this is via Task Manager (on Windows) as some malicious software has been written to download itself when the close-window button is clicked. When entering your personal information, any website should be using a secure HTTP connection, you will know this is the case if the URL starts with https rather than http. You may also see a padlock down in the right-hand corner of the screen, but check carefully that it is in the right place as some fraudulent sites create dummy padlocks to fool the user.
Viruses are also a common problem. Your computer can be infected by viruses from either e-mails or infected websites. E-mail viruses are generally in the form of attachments to e-mails and when the user clicks on the attachment the virus downloads itself on to the computer. To prevent this happening never open attachments from sources that you don’t know. Delete them immediately. Bear in mind that someone you know may unknowingly send you an attachment that is infected, so even if you know the source don’t open the attachment unless you know what it is.
Many companies do download information to users’ computers when they enter their website. These are called ‘cookies’ and are used to record information about which pages you view and can be used to personalize your user experience. Some are merely irritating as they create pop-up advertisements, but some have a more sinister purpose. Some links can download viruses that either record personal information, through for example key-logging software, or may take over your computer as in net bots. Others can cause damage to your computer by deleting files. To prevent infection from websites try to only access sites that you know are safe. However, as infection can occur as a result of downloading legitimate software, you do need another line of defense. You should keep your computer up-to-date with the latest security patches and anti-virus tools and stay informed about the latest security threats.
You should also set up a firewall to prevent unauthorized access to your PC. Anti-spyware software will help you identify and delete spyware on your computer. This software works by comparing the code of programs and files to known spyware definitions. It is therefore essential that you download the latest database of definitions from the anti-spyware company’s website. If you use a wireless connection always change the default password on your router. A surprising number of people fail to do this and so potentially others can use their network.
If you suspect that your credit card details or your identity have been stolen then it is important to act quickly. Reclaiming your identity is a lengthy business and involves a number of steps. You will need to request a credit report from one of the credit reporting agencies such as Experian, Equifax or TransUnion. Ask them to set up a fraud alert on your report. Contact your bank and/or credit-card company and cancel your credit cards. Also close your checking accounts and open new ones. Close any accounts that have been opened in your name. File a report with the police. You may also need to contact the Social Security Administration; the Department of Motor Vehicles, service providers such as telephone companies, the Post Office and the Internal Revenue Service. You can also contact Scan which is a national database for tracking bad checks. Chex Systems can supply you with a consumer report which lists any checking accounts that have been opened in your name.
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