Online
shoppers are getting savvy these days and they expect the online shopping
experience to be seamless. However, malicious programs that steal your personal
information have grown from 1 million in 2007 to about 130 million. On top of
that, there are almost 12 million identity fraud victims in the US, annually.
How can you avoid being a victim? Keep yourself safe online while shopping by
using these 6 tips for avoiding identity theft.
Avoid
the Lure
Phishing
is a term I'm sure you've heard before, but what does it really mean? Just as a
fisherman will bait his hook with a tasty worm, so will cybercriminals bait
e-mails with tempting offers in an attempt to have you divulge sensitive
information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details. The
"bait" is a malicious link in an e-mail that leads to a spoofed
website. Avoid getting caught by not clicking any links in the suspicious
e-mail, by not giving out any sensitive information via e-mail, and by looking
in the lower left hand corner of most browsers. There you can find a preview of
where the link will take you.
Get
Protection for Your Computer
An
unprotected computer can be infected by malware in as little as five minutes
while connected to the Internet. Protect your computer and yourself by
purchasing anti-virus software. Free anti-virus software is better than
nothing, but go for a paid product that performs automatic scans and updates
its threat database several times per day.
Use
OpenDNS
Every
website has a human-readable web address (like http://www.google.com ).
It also has a computer-readable address, known as an IP address
(74.125.30.105). Your ISP's DNS server does the translation. What it doesn't do
is protect you from phishing. OpenDNS blocks phishing websites from loading on
your computer using data from Phishtank, a community site.
Create
Strong and Unique Passwords for Every Site
Check
out this list of the most hackable passwords on the internet:
·
password
·
123456
·
qwerty
·
Pet
Names
·
Place
of Birth
·
First
Names (of family members or partner)
I
am going to show you how to create a very strong password and it will be easy
to remember. Create or pick a random sentence, now remove the spaces from the
sentence, and then begin to change letters for numbers and change
capitalization. In this case, an example is worth a thousand words:
·
An
example is worth a thousand words - My initial sentence
·
Anexampleisworthathousandwords
- I've taken the spaces out
·
An3xample1$worth1oooWurd$
- Now I'm substituting numbers and symbols for letters
·
N3xmple1$worth1oooWurd$
- Continue the process until you have a strong password
·
An
online password checker rated this as "Best" (the highest rating
available).
Find
the Padlock
Locks
are great for protecting valuable items from theft, which is why you should
always look for the padlock in your browser while shopping or banking online.
Look in the address bar for the padlock and "https:" prefix. Those
items mean that your connection to the website is encrypted, usually with 256
bit encryption.
Avoid
Public Networks
Public
networks don't encrypt their connection so a cyber criminal could be
intercepting your passwords and credit details. Save your online shopping for
when you are on your own secured network at home.
Avoid
the crowds and hassle by shopping online but be smart. Put these 6 tips into
practice to enjoy a seamless shopping experience and avoid becoming a victim of
identity theft.
John
Wright is a Computer Consultant who has been successfully removing malware from
personal and business computers for several years. Visit John's Computer Consulting to ask
questions and learn more.
Article
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Ethan_Wright
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8126229
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