Online Theft Protection

Guard Your Identity With Online Theft Protection Measures

The Internet has made our lives so much easier. We can make purchases, pay bills, register for bank and credit card accounts, manage financial retirement accounts and so much more, all online at any time of the day. But just like the real world, the virtual world has its share of criminals who are out to steal your personal and financial information. In fact, online identity theft is among the fastest growing forms of identity theft. According to the federal Internet Crime Complaint Center, cyber thieves steal millions of dollars each year from online victims. Guarding your online identity involves awareness of the types of Internet crimes and the use of online security measures that help in the prevention of cyber crimes.

How Your Digital Identity Can Be Stolen

Over the Internet, your digital identity includes information that only you know, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, usernames, passwords, mother’s maiden name, personal identification numbers and birth dates. Unlike other types of identity theft where personal and financial information is physically stolen, Internet users may unsuspectingly provide this information to cyber criminals through phishing, spoofing, pharming and other email-based schemes. In other cases, a person’s digital identity is stolen by computer criminals who hack into databases of online retailers, banks, data clearinghouses and Internet service providers. Digital identities also can be stolen over a wireless network if security features are not installed.

How To Secure Your Digital Identity

  • Because cyber criminals use sophisticated techniques to steal your identity, Internet users need to take measures to guard their digital identity and online transactions. Here are some of the tools available:
  • Software products that provide a secure web browser when shopping, banking, or investing online.
  • Secured passwords through a wired Internet service provider for wireless router/access points on wireless local area networks (WLAN).
  • Anonymizer software, which is Internet and IP address identity theft protection that hides your IP address and makes your identity anonymous when surfing or conducting online transactions.
  • Malicious websites notification software that alerts you when a website has malware installed that is capable of damaging your computer or stealing your IP address.
  • Spam blocker software that allows you to safely view email at a mail server for possible viruses and worms and delete them before they infect your computer.
  • Anti-Spyware software that detects programs that identity theft criminals use to steal IP addresses or conduct Internet identity theft.
  • Secure Payment Agents that enable consumers to manage and control their personal information when conducting online transactions.