Cybersecurity: Practical guide to protect yourself from identity theft

*Experts offer some practical suggestions on ways to keep track of sensitive material, including your driver’s licence, Social Security card, passport, and other important documents in a safe place

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Against the backdrop of increasing cyberthreats and the need for cybersecurity on the Internet, several companies now monitor financial accounts and personal information to help consumers to spot abnormal activity with their credit cards and bank accounts.

These companies can also repair and resolve problems caused by identity theft in Cyberspace.

Facts about identity theft

What is identity theft Identity theft has been described as “the action of obtaining personal, private or financial information through criminal means.”

Experts explained that identity fraud occurs when someone uses your information “without authorisation, typically for financial gain”.

If a person is convicted for an identity theft crime, they will likely spend significant time in jail or prison and pay substantial fines.

How is identity theft committed?

Your personal information can easily fall into the wrong hands.

Often, thieves search through trash for sensitive documents, but increasingly information is stolen from online sources.

You might fall prey to a fraudulent phishing email that steals your information, or someone might use a “skimmer” to take your credit card number.

Likewise, your information can also be leaked from companies you do business with, or hackers may access your wireless internet signal.

Your personal information can fall into the wrong hands in many ways.

In the past, many thought of identity theft in physical terms as it were.

What is identity theft protection?

Identity theft protection companies provide identity and/or credit monitoring services.

To determine if your personal information has been compromised, identity theft protection services monitor databases that collect various types of information and check for inaccuracies.

Some identity protection services also offer recovery insurance.

How does identity theft protection work?

Identity theft protection companies monitor more than just credit; they monitor your credit cards, bank accounts, Social Security (SSN) information where applicable, and other sensitive material. The company will alert you if your personal information is used in a way that’s incongruous with your typical credit report activity.

For example, they’ll notify you if someone uses your Social Security number to apply for a loan.

The best identity protection companies use preventative strategies such as reducing their customers’ public exposure and monitoring black market websites for their customers’ information.

They also offer recovery assistance.

Consumers are advised to consider the following recommendations:

• Always keep track of sensitive material
• Store your driver’s licence, Social Security card, passport and other important documents in a safe place.
• Always shred credit card offers, bank statements and receipts.
• Pay attention to credit reports, bills and financial statements—don’t hesitate to contact a sender if you’re missing a bill and haven’t enrolled in paperless billing.
• Don’t leave mail uncollected in your mailbox
• Notify your post office if you will be out of town for more than a day by placing a hold on your mail.
• Monitor your credit score
• Most Americans rely on their credit company or bank to monitor activity, but there are other steps you can take to stay safe from identity theft.
• Sign up for a credit monitoring service.
• Keep your passwords hard to guess
• Passwords that are sentences or phrases are more difficult to guess than a name or single word.
• Avoid sequential numbers (1234), and include at least one special character (&#@!).
• Get two-factor authentication alerts
• Ideally, two-factor identification is another layer of security that ensures only trusted devices can access your account.
• Receiving these alerts from services you don’t recognise can be signs of a phishing scam or an identity thief who has signed up for these services using your information.
• Never respond to unsolicited requests for sensitive or personal information
• Sharing your Social Security number should always be done with caution, especially over the phone.
• Never give out the number if you did not initiate the call, and always verify why the person needs it.
• Try to give an alternate form of identification, if possible.
• Know how to stay safe online
• Never share your SSN over e-mail for any reason, only use reputable websites and avoid making purchases on unsecured networks. Seniors are particularly vulnerable to phishing schemes and other online attacks because they are less familiar with technology. Seniors should be careful not to overshare on social media. Like anyone, seniors should keep their personal documents and information secure, especially if they are in an assisted living facility or have in-home care.
• Stay safe on public Wi-Fi
• Free public internet might feel like a blessing, but it’s also making you vulnerable to identity theft. Unencrypted public Wi-Fi is sometimes used as a hunting group for hackers who circumvent mutual authentication to collect your data and information. Always use a firewall and update sharing settings when using a public Wi-Fi network. Considering getting a VPN (virtual private network), which ensures security on a public network by extending your private network.
• Freeze or lock your accounts
• Freezing your account with the three reporting bureaus will restrict access to your records.

A credit lock is an easier alternative to a credit freeze, but with less legal protections.

You can unlock a credit lock at any time on your smartphone, whereas a freeze will take more time to “thaw.”

Trust your instincts!

Kindly Share This Story