How To Avoid Identity Theft

January 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Identity theft if very common on the internet and it is very important that you learn how to avoid this. The first thing you need to do is guard your financial information. The only time you ever give out your credit card number is when you are actually paying for something.

Never give out your social security number unless you are absolutely sure who it is you are giving it to and you know it is necessary for them to have it. You can ask companies such as your health insurer to give you an alternative number so you don’t have to use your social security number. It is very important that you keep this information safe. If someone contacts you asking for any personal information, such as someone claiming to be from a bank and asks you for your bank number, call the bank directly and ask about it. Banks will not call you and ask for your bank number. They should already have this information. If they contact you, always contact them to make sure it was really them instead of an imposter.

Always keep your mail safe. Mail contains personal information that you do not want anyone to get a hold of. Get off credit marketing lists. A lot of people use these to their advantage to get a hold of your credit card information.

Always memorize your passwords and pin numbers. You do not want them written down anywhere. Never send your personal information such as your credit card number through email. If you are using a website that requires personal information, make sure it is going to be secure before you give it to them. always check your credit reports whenever you can. If you find any incorrect information, contact someone and explain to them that there is a problem.

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Are Online Transactions Really Safe?

December 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The internet has made so many aspects of life very convenient: banking, shopping and communicating online have saved people hours of time. Searching for information has never been faster or easier since the advent of the printed word. But many people still hesitate to do any financial transactions online because they simply don’t trust it.

Everybody knows someone who has never purchased online because they feel the internet is full of thieves, hackers and unethical people. The truth is there are just as many thieves, hackers and unethical people in the offline world trying to access credit card numbers, banking information and other sensitive data.

While it is true that commerce sites have been hacked and personal data has been compromised, the fact is that these incidents are relatively rare. Dramatic events make the news, but they only represent a small percentage of the tens of millions of daily internet transactions.

Sending credit card numbers over an encrypted connection is far safer than using them in a brick-and-mortar store. An encrypted connection hides the information from human eyes. A credit card or paper check is exposed to more people when it is presented in a store or a bank, or even over the phone. People may not trust the internet, but they don’t hesitate to trust store clerks, telephone operators, and other total strangers.

Unscrupulous people are everywhere, and thieves have been around a lot longer than the internet. Internet banks, vendors and government agencies do not want their data compromised any more than the consumer does, and they go to great lengths to keep their sites secure. Online transactions are every bit as safe, if not safer, than buying or banking in person. As long as people are careful about where they enter their information, they should feel confident that online transactions are a safe way to do business.

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Be Sure A Website Is Secure Before Entering Personal Information

December 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Although there are many stories of people having their personal data and credit card numbers stolen via the internet, it is actually quite safe if you if you follow basic precautions. Information can be stolen through hacking, but is usually acquired through much less sophisticated methods. One way that thieves can access data is by duping internet users into using fake or non-secure websites.

Whenever you enter your personal information such as your address, birth date, social security number or financial information, make sure that the site is secure. In the address bar of the browser window, the website address will begin with http. Secure pages begin with https. The s should appear when you get to a page that asks you to enter your information into a form. These pages will encrypt the information, making it invisible as it travels from server to server. Encryption scrambles the data making it unreadable through a virtually unbreakable code

Some vendors may also use proprietary, third-party services to add another layer of security to their sites. These sites will display an icon in the lower right corner of the page to indicate that protection measures are in place and that your information will be transmitted securely.

Shopping sites should make you create a password before you enter your credit card information. This extra step may be inconvenient, but it is for your protection. Sites with the highest security do not see, know or record your password. If you forget it, they can’t tell it to you. They can generate and email you a new one, which you should change as soon as you can. Although this also seems inconvenient, sites that do not store password information are more secure.

Always verify the site’s security before entering any information. Legitimate companies want you to shop safely with them, and put these security measures in place to protect your information.

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Use Caution With Banking-Related Emails

December 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Internet identity thieves are persistent in trying to get your personal information. Sometimes they use bold moves such as hacking into a company website and stealing it. There are also more subtle ways, which are unfortunately quite successful. These include tricking you into giving it to them yourself, usually through an official-looking email or website.

Don’t respond to emails that ask for confidential information such as a credit card number, bank account number or password. Identity thieves send emails designed to look like they are from your bank, usually with an urgent message regarding account security. If your bank needed to contact you, they would leave a phone message with a verifiable phone number.

Don’t respond to any emails that refer to a supposed problem with your account, or asking you to verify information via email. A bank or credit card company will never ask for your account password, nor will they ask you to send your account number through email. These emails look real because they feature the bank’s logo, but they are high-quality fakes. It’s best to delete these emails without opening them.

Never click on a link in an email. These links will take to you a fake website to get you to enter your information there. If you think there is a problem with your account, always type the URL in your browser yourself. This is the only way to make sure you are going to the real site.

Many sites let you choose a security phrase or image to display. Because you choose the image yourself, a spoofed site will never display this image. Be sure it displays each time you sign into the site.

Many spoofed sites and emails are so well done they almost fool the experts. When in doubt, call the number on the back of your card to verify the status of your account.

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Why You Need To Have Anti-Virus And Anti-Spyware Programs

December 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Running anti-virus software on your computer is an absolute necessity, especially if you are accessing the internet. These programs will prevent your computer from being infected by viruses, worms, Trojans, and other malware that can do a wide range of damage. These viruses exist almost everywhere in cyberspace, and without protection, you are always at risk from picking them up through email, popup ads or by visiting a malicious website.

Some damage is not that serious, but the most notorious viruses can access your address book, use your computer to send viruses to others, and do damage to your computer. There are viruses that cause your PC to shut down or to perform all sorts of illegal actions. Others can access your documents and steal your information. In the worst case, they can render your machine unusable.

Most Antivirus programs also include anti-spyware as well. Spyware applications can install programs that track keystrokes in an attempt to collect credit cards numbers, bank account numbers and passwords. Others can do damage by corrupting files and documents, or installing programs that perform a destructive action, for example, shutting down a computer whenever a word document is opened.

Even if you do not access the internet, it’s still possible to be infected. Documents can be infected with viruses or harmful macros. If you access these documents from an external drive, the viruses can replicate when they document is opened. You do not even need to be online for this to happen.

If you are fond of watching online movies and web streams, then you must use the media players and video codecs that are packed with security features.  Codecs like xvid and divx are constantly updated with security related fixes and are bug free.

While the source of most viruses can be traced to an email, many people suddenly find they have a virus and have no idea where it came from. Virus creators are increasingly creative in developing ways to spread infections, usually without you ever knowing. A reliable antivirus program is a must for every computer user. The cost of the program far outweighs the cost of professional virus removal.

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Computer-Sharing Advice For Parents

December 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

People with children in their households need to take certain precautions when using the internet. If you share a computer with children there are some steps you can take to protect your children, your computer and your privacy.

Remember that all internet activity leaves electronic footprints. Even though it does not involve personally identifiable information, advertisers often use the search terms you enter to display related advertisements. If you search for adult-related topics, even those of a clinical nature, you kids may see ads related to these search terms in a later browsing session. Make sure you use a private browsing session when you use the internet. Also, use your browser’s option tab to delete your search history, cache and cookies.

Always make sure to completely log out of banking, shopping and auction sites. If you have stored your credit card information on a shopping site, a child can inadvertently purchase an item. They could also see your credit card or bank account balances. Always log out of a site and then close the browser window.

If you belong to discussion forums that involve touchy, controversial or personal subjects, be sure to make your password difficult to guess. Don’t use names of household pets or school names. Choose something that only you and not your entire family would know. The best passwords are nonsense works or phrases.

If you visit sites you would rather your child did not see, be sure to delete your internet history. Many kids are more internet-savvy than you think, and may be nosy or just plain curious.

Explain to children not to download software, ring tones, music or other files without your permission. Children don’t understand the damage that viruses and malware can do. If necessary, block access to this type of website using your browser’s security settings, or install a customizable internet filter that prevents downloads from sites that are known to be harmful.

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The Downsides of Internet Commerce

October 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Credit card
Image via Wikipedia

The internet age has simply revolutionized business. Where one day, parties would meet with one another for trade, which soon developed into the malls and complexes we now know, they can now conduct business miles away with the touch of a button. This modern convenience has meant change for merchants the world-over, but the changes aren’t all good.

For one thing, the stock isn’t as easily accessible. While customers could inspect any merchandise prior to purchasing it at a store or a stall, to some extent, this is virtually impossible when buying online. Though even in a store setting, the customer can’t actually check inside a box or plastic packaging, the customer does at least have the ability to check and assure him that the box is intact and nothing’s outwardly amiss.

A second problem arising from the rise of virtual markets is fraud. While many merchants are indeed reliable, many also are not. There people that will take credit card, and other financial information, and give the individual nothing in return while the person can of themselves do nothing as these fraudsters are often doing this from miles away. This poses a lack of the security consumers have come to expect at a typical store that they normally shop at. However, this has given rise to a variety of means of instilling security in consumers, such as consumer advocacy groups (the like of which also exist for real-life stores).

These inadequacies aside, the online store craze is actually understandable. Being able to make purchases as conveniently as moving around your pointer and typing on a computer is more than just convenient. Even the inadequacies can be dealt with. To deter consumers from being conned, not for profit consumer advocacy groups exist. Likewise, though the consumer is often unable to inspect the goods prior to receiving them, these online merchants often have return policies not unlike their real-life counterparts. All in all, in spite of any issues that may be raised, the system only has room for improvement and we ought to expect more such business models in the near to distant future.

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Internet Finance

September 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

E-Commerce is not something too new. Sites like eBay have been in existence for awhile now, and major department stores and super centers have had websites to further advertise their presence and promote their goods for an equally long time. Internet based finance however, is something relatively new.
More and more banks, and creditors, have come to the realization that it is much less expensive and far more efficient in many cases, to find clients online. As a result, they will advertise a particular service they are offering (free checking, a new credit card, etc.) online and offer users the ability to apply without even visiting a banker at a branch (which may not even exist for the user’s location!). This has also been a great convenience to consumers who save time and money on a trip to the bank as all they have to do is fill their information out online, click a button and await a response, either by email, over the phone or through snail mail.
But that’s but one example. Financial institutions are making the switch to having their services offered online in a host of other ways. Many financial institutions, in a bid to save money on paper, ink and postage, are now trying to find ways to compel consumers to agree to no longer receive messages in the post but to receive their statements over the internet. With such gimmicks as free gift cards, sweepstakes entries, and more – people are being convinced to change this option at an unprecedented rate.

But this hope by these institutions, to save a bit of money, is making the world’s finances even more dependent on the internet infrastructure than ever before. Now, email isn’t just for sending jokes to a coworker or signing up for spam, it’s how you receive vital information regarding the status of your account. Whether that’s good or bad can be judged in individual cases, however, the end result is clear. Internet finance is growing – and it is here to stay.

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