A Personal Computer, Essay Example

The marshaling in of the digital age has brought with it digital crime. Most human knowledge is now stored online. Governments are now using computers to store everything from medical records to tax information. The most valuable information today to criminals is you’re digital Identity. An identity thief impersonates an individual in order to gain access to their bank accounts or worse yet their credit facilities with financial institutions.

How can one guard against digital theft? The simplest way is by being careful and spending a little bit of money on software that will protect your PC from being hacked. A good anti-virus usually comes with Malware and anti-spyware protection. This will be able to stop hackers from getting to your personal details remotely. What email can’t they get my information from my work or personal email? This can be prevented by changing your password on a regular basis. One can also use a complex password that is a combination of names and numbers. Never use simple passwords like your name or date of birth. Never store sensitive information in your email. Always print what is important then delete it. Store the information in an external hard drive if possible. You can also store the information as a folder in your PC. What if I lose my PC? It is important to encrypt any Data in your folder or lock the information with a password. Doing both is even better. A more drastic approach would be to remove the hard drive and use it when you need it. What if I want to buy something online? Always make sure the web site is the correct one and not a dummy site. All you have to do is look at the web address make sure it begins with https:// instead of http://. The difference is subtle but it means everything. Only purchase from sites you know and trust. You must also make sure when you’re sending your credit card information it is through an encrypted secure connections (SSL/TLS protocol).

At the end of every month go through your credit card bills and see what you purchased and if there are any anomalies. Sometimes hackers choose to still small amounts say a dollar or two that is negligible. They may be setting you up for the big score. A drastic solution is to never use a credit card online and generally pay for everything in cash.

Finally if you are truly terrified there is now insurance against identity theft. Credit card companies now offer customers the option for a subscription fee identity fraud services and credit monitoring. Finally if you ffollow these simple steps you will be secure and safe.

Citation

“Steps to Prevent Identity Theft, and What to Do if It Happens” Scambusters . Web. 4/8/2012

“10 Tips to Prevent Identity Theft” Network Security. Web. 4/8/2012