ID-PROTECT.ORG » Thieves http://www.id-protect.org Get the fact on identity theft... Protect Your Identity now. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:27:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Why Securing Your Identity On the Internet Has Become More Difficult in 2010 http://www.id-protect.org/why-securing-your-identity-on-the-internet-has-become-more-difficult-in-2010/ http://www.id-protect.org/why-securing-your-identity-on-the-internet-has-become-more-difficult-in-2010/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:01:31 +0000 admin http://www.id-protect.org/why-securing-your-identity-on-the-internet-has-become-more-difficult-in-2010/ We believe the more technology improve the more secure your data and personal identity becomes, but this is not always so. I know it is quite contrary to the common sense, but identity security does not go up with technological advancement — not at least automatically; rather our personal information becomes more prone to stealth because of technological advancements.

What advanced technology gives us is an option to fortify our personal data, which we invariably miss to do. The same technology, instead, is used by identity thieves to steal our data, even without leaving any trace.

Why is it so?

Because they are the active lot and we are the lazy ones.

Identity thieves constantly battle to get their hands on recent technology so that they can use it to their advantage. They walk an extra mile to get that, but even when every advanced technology is made available to us, we do not tend to use any of them.

How many of us have tinkered with privacy setting in Facebook to keep our photos, updates, etc. visible only to our friends, or to some of our chosen friends? The feature to make Facebook safe is already there, but very few people tend to use it, because of which most of the Facebook profiles are up for grab for identity theft.

This is not just one of case. There are many such things that we have been left the way they are on social networking websites. A social networking unfortunately is a gold mine for identity thieves.

What to do then?

  • Go to the setting menu (or any equivalent menu) and play with the privacy settings until you hide every detail from prying eyes.
  • Make all your photographs private, and confine the visibility to only those whom you intend to see. You should hide them from your friends as well, for you never know who will misuse it. Keep it visible only to those who matters or those who should see the pictures.
  • Do not post your postal address, telephone numbers, mobile numbers, or personal mail IDs in open forums, or in places where everyone can see it. If you have to share the number or any other personal detail then send it in a private mail.
  • Keep your personal information close to your chest. Do not give away anything to anyone, until and unless you trust the recipient completely, and you have faith that they will not misuse anything shared with them.

Technological advancement in itself does not expose us to identity theft, but our inability to use it to protect us does make us naked in front identity thieves. With more people storing their personal data online for convenience, companies are beginning to use solutions like the Trend Micro cloud computing security suite to protect their users from information leaks and network intrusions.

]]> http://www.id-protect.org/why-securing-your-identity-on-the-internet-has-become-more-difficult-in-2010/feed/ 0 3 Free Antivirus to Protect Your Identity Online http://www.id-protect.org/3-free-antivirus-to-protect-your-identity-online/ http://www.id-protect.org/3-free-antivirus-to-protect-your-identity-online/#comments Thu, 25 Mar 2010 04:57:47 +0000 http://www.id-protect.org/3-free-antivirus-to-protect-your-identity-online/ Of many demonic goals of a virus, stealing your personal and financial information is one. An identity thief knows that most of the people are innocent and they do not have any antivirus installed or updated, so he or she designs a virus to infiltrate your system. But fortunately, there are many good antivirus programs available on the Internet, and the good news is that some of the best antivirus programs are free. I have hand-picked three free antivirus programs that work like a magic.

avast!

avast! antivirus is my personal favorite. I have used it for many years, and I know how strong a security-net it builds. It provides good protection. There are two versions of this antivirus—one is free for home users and other one is professional. It helps you protect your PC in real time.

Features: Antivirus and anti-spyware, e-mail scanner, avast! Sandbox, Silent Firewall, Antispam, Web Shield, IM / P2P Shield, Network Shield, Smart virus updates, etc.

Download link: Download avast! Free antivirus

Avira AntiVir Personal – FREE Antivirus

I have never tried this antivirus myself, but have heard lots of good words about this antivirus. Avira AntiVir Personal – FREE Antivirus is consistently among top free antivirus programs on the internet. It protects you from viruses, worms, deadly rootkit viruses, Trojans, spywares, etc.

Features: AntiVir protection against viruses, worms and Trojans, AntiAd/Spyware protection against spyware and adware, AntiRootkit protection against hidden rootkits, GenericRepair automatic repair of your PC, etc.

Download: Download Avira AntiVir Personal – FREE Antivirus

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

Before switching to avast! I used AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition. It is another rock solid antivirus free application. It keeps your PC safe from evil gaze of identity thieves. There are two more versions of this antivirus, but I will recommend trying the free version before going for the paid one. The free version provides only basic security.

Features: Anti-Virus & Anti-Spyware

Download link: Download AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition

You can use any of the three antivirus programs to protect your personal information from identity thefts.

]]> http://www.id-protect.org/3-free-antivirus-to-protect-your-identity-online/feed/ 0 3 Ways to Beef up Your PC Security http://www.id-protect.org/3-ways-to-beef-up-your-pc-security/ http://www.id-protect.org/3-ways-to-beef-up-your-pc-security/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:47:43 +0000 http://www.id-protect.org/3-ways-to-beef-up-your-pc-security/ Just installing an antivirus and an anti-spyware is not enough. You need to scan your PC periodically, if you want to keep yourself safe from identity thieves. We will talk about this and other issues in this post.

Do not trust anyone

Trust is a big word and a precisions item, but you tend to give it as a free gift to anyone who asks for it. If you think you don’t then ask again. How many times have you trusted the links shared by your friends without even questioning? I am not saying your friend wants to break into your PC or install a virus there. What I mean is that he may be as innocent as you are and end-up becoming victim of crooks. And what is the guarantee that the links your friend has mailed you is coming from him, and some virus is not doing its trick? Ask this question twice before you take your cursor to click on the link.

Click on anything that is clickable

You do not click just on the links shared by your friends, but most of the time you happen to click on links that says there are hot topless girls on the other side of the link. You also click links when the link promises to give you something really cool for FREE. Do not get cheated. Apply your discretionary power to judge if the link is a phishing attempt or what.

Downloading whatever there is to download

This is another mistake that you commit. Do not download anything from the places you do not trust. If something is featured on lifehacker, filehippo, or Cnet, etc., then it could be trusted, but not every site that offer freeware applications can be trusted.

And even if you download your software from a trusted source, scan it through a virus scanner and a spyware scanner like super antispyware. If you are still not sure then upload the file onto VirusTotal.com. They will scan your file using 40 antivirus programs, and it is free to use.

Follow these tips religiously and you will never be sorry that you tried it.

]]> http://www.id-protect.org/3-ways-to-beef-up-your-pc-security/feed/ 0 Identity Theft Methods http://www.id-protect.org/identity-theft-methods/ http://www.id-protect.org/identity-theft-methods/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:18:23 +0000 admin http://www.id-protect.org/identity-theft-methods/ Understanding the common techniques that thieves use to take hold of your identity is important.  With knowledge you can keep yourself safe.  By knowing what to avoid, and how to handle your personal information, you lower your risk.  So here are a few ways identity thieves operate.

One of the most common methods is to use your old computer against you.  Many people don’t realize that even if you delete the files on your hard drive, most of the information can be recovered.  So when you throw away your old computer, or donate it to someone else, most of the info is till there.  That means stored information and passwords.  A thief can pick these up pretty easily.

You should always destroy an old hard drive, to keep yourself completely safe.  That’s really the only way to make sure the information is gone.  Otherwise you run the risk of someone else using your information against you.

Another mistake many make, is to just throw away documents.  Old bills, bank statements, etc.  They don’t realize that these provide all the information an identity thief needs to assume your identity.  Anything with your name and address needs to be shredded.  So a document shredder is an important addition to every home.  Or if you don’t have one, tear up the documents yourself.  But make sure to make the effort, or else an ID thief could have an easy pay day at your expense.

Pay attention to what information you freely give when people are in close proximity to you.  A mistake many make is filling out forms publicly, or giving out social security numbers where others can see or hear.  You have to guard that information.  So make sure any personal forms you’re filling out in public are covered up as you complete them.  Don’t talk about your personal information when others are within earshot.  You can’t know who is listening.  Additionally, Clear browser cookies afterwards to avoid third party tracking. Reputation.com and similar services can automatically do this for you. A mistake many make is filling out forms publicly, or giving out social security numbers where others can see or hear. You have to guard all of your information.

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