You can still be a target for identify thieves and hackers even if you have anti-virus, spyware protection and a firewall! Read on to find out how YOU are giving these folks access to your personal 
information…
You have a good firewall, your antivirus is up to date, your spyware protection is set up and you keep up with all of the security patches, you are safe, right?
WRONG!
According to a recent study, 37% of online identify theft had one thing in common: it was caused by an action taken by the user. You got it folks, over 1/3 of all identity thefts are not thefts at all, they are out right identity-give-a-ways!
How can you avoid this happening to you and your company?
Although no one is completely safe, following these 3 simple tips will stop you from accidently giving up your confidential information or handing over access to your computer network.
- Never visit or download free music files, videos or programs from file-sharing sites such as Kazaa. These sites are surefire ways to introduce malware (worms, spyware, or viruses) to your computer. If you are a business owner, set up a web filtering software to prevent your employees from downloading any unauthorized programs or files.
- Do not respond to email from a bank, credit card company, PayPal or online store where items are purchased (like eBay) no matter how credible or legitimate it looks. Instead contact the company using their published phone number (not from the email!) and discuss the email with them.
- Never allow anyone asking for physical access to electronic equipment / network, without asking for identification. Make sure they should have access before you give it to them. Also make sure you explain this policy to your staff as well. With access to your electronic equipment (phone room, server room, network, etc.) this person can access your data in any number of ways. You would never believe how big this problem is. To test it out, I asked a friend to walk into a couple of offices, saying that he was from “the phone company” responding to a problem, and asking to see the network. Access was granted to this complete stranger 100% of the time!
So there you have it – 3 quick tips. Have fun. Play safe and don’t have an identity-give-a-way!
