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.
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