Identity Theft and the Internet

Not every virus is lurking about your hard drive looking for your SSN, and not every piece of spam you receive is a solicitation from an identity thief. But some of them are. Nine out of ten identity thieves agree that the Internet makes their job a whole lot easier. Read on to find out how you can make it a little harder for identity thieves.

VIRUS PROTECTION
Viruses—programs written by hackers to mess with your computer—can do any number of unpleasant things, some of which can be quite handy for an identity thief. For instance, a virus could keep track of every key you type, which might include your passwords or your credit card number. The virus then sends that information back to the thief. Virus protection programs search out and destroy these sneaky bits of code, but the software has to know what it’s looking for. Update your virus protection software regularly and whenever you receive an alert about a new virus.

WINDOWS UPDATES
Despite its many useful capabilities, Windows contains some security loopholes that hackers find and exploit for their own gain. Fortunately, Microsoft is always working to come up with security patches to stop the hackers and thieves. But you’ve got to install the Microsoft updates if you want to be protected. Update your operating system whenever it tells you to—even if you’re in the middle of a particularly important game of Minesweeper.

FIREWALLS
When you venture out for a stroll in cyberspace, you use the front door: your browser. What you probably don’t realize is that there are thousands of other doors, windows, and ventilation shafts (ports, if you want to get all technical) through which your computer can be accessed. If you leave all of those entrances wide open, you’re just begging an identity thief to get in there and steal information. Firewall software protects your computer by locking the extra doors and windows. This is especially important if you have a high-speed Internet connection that’s always on.