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Identity Theft

Secure Your Computer and Electronic Records

By Mindy

Identity theft is on the rise, and one of the most threatening forms of identity theft comes through accessing computer records. With the advent of the internet and popularity of email, more and more households are getting online.

You may be one of the many people who take advantage of online banking and store personal information within your computer. What you may not realize is how crucial it is to protect your computer from internet hackers and identity thieves.

You must start by understanding how a thief accesses your computer. After that, you should take measures to protect your computer and secure your confidential documents.

Understand how your computer can be compromised

Simply owning and using a computer does not put you at risk for identity theft. You face risk only when your computer connects online to the World Wide Web. You are at risk for identity theft if your computer contains any electronic files with personal information, such as account numbers or social security numbers.

The best way to combat this risk is by installing a firewall. A firewall acts like a guard between your computer and the web. The firewall itself is a device controlled by software that decides what information can flow in and out of your internet connection and what cannot.

If you connect to the internet but don’t have any form of firewall, it’s a lot like leaving your house completely unlocked and open for visitors. You wouldn’t risk having your house robbed, so don’t risk letting your computer get robbed. Many safeguards exist to protect your computer, and you should use every single one.

Top eight ways to protect your computer

• Install a firewall on your computer. You can protect your sensitive electronic files by installing firewall protection. This keeps internet hackers out of your files while you are connected to the internet. There are multiple firewall programs available.
• Install virus-protection and anti-spam software. Many virus-protection programs recognize unwelcome programs that try to dig their way into your computer. Most will sense a problem if a hacker attempts to download a virus or tries to place other compromising software on your computer.
• Keep your computer updates current. The best way to do this is to allow automatic updates for your computer. These updates help strengthen your computer programs, making them harder to access. As hackers and identity thieves grow more capable, updates are constantly refined to block their new efforts.
• Know your source when you download. Often times you’ll receive pictures or various other files over the internet from friends. Sometimes though, these same friends unwittingly send you viruses. To protect yourself, first follow the rule to never open something from somebody you don’t know. After that, look at the file extensions for every download you receive. You should never install anything with the following extensions: .exe, .com, or .pif. These are all hacker-created programs that break into your electronic files and search for confidential identifiers. In addition, avoid opening suspicious email.  An email is suspicious when there are misspellings in the subject line or when the sender has an unusual or inappropriate name that you don't recognize.
• Beware of pop-ups. Most people have grown used to pop-ups cropping up on the screen when they look at new internet websites. If you don’t know the source of the pop-up, be cautious. A pop-up is harmless if it is meant to advertise something. Unfortunately, any pop-ups that want to run or install a program on your computer (such as screensavers) could very well be tainted.
• Add a password to your login. When you turn on your computer, set it up so it requires a password to boot up. Even though you’ll have to type in the password every time you start the computer, you’ll be well-served if it works to prevent thieves from attempting to log on and see your personal files.
• Backup your computer files. If you’ve ever been attacked by a virus, you risk losing all the countless files and data it’s probably taken you years to assemble. Save yourself the grief of losing everything by backing up your files to CDs, disks, or an external hard drive.
• Turn off your computer when you’re not using it. When your computer is off, it is not connected to the internet. This means your computer is not at risk of being hacked into or of being infected by a virus. So if you’re not using your computer, go ahead and turn it off. Not only will you be keeping your files safe from a hacker, you’ll also save a little bit of energy!

Take care of your computer to enjoy benefits

The computer really is a great tool. It streamlines all kinds of processes and makes it easy to share stories, letters, and photos with the people you care about. On top of that, a computer is generally a hefty investment. Take the time to install a firewall and anti-virus program, along with following the other tips listed above. Not only will you be taking excellent care of your investment, you’ll be adding one more measure of identity theft protection.

6/19/2008

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