You'd never ask a convicted burglar to watch your house while you're away, and you'd never ask a known criminal to babysit your kids, right? So why, then, are you allowing identity thieves into your computer, giving them access to all your personal and financial information, right now - possibly even while you're reading these words?
"But wait a minute," you may be thinking. "My computer is perfectly safe and protected. I installed an anti-virus program two - maybe three - years ago."
Okay, let's assume your computer is protected at some level. How do you think your internet and computer protection ranks against such companies as Microsoft, Network Solutions, or even the U.S. Department of Defense - Department of Homeland Security? If you think they have better protection than you, which they obviously should, then you'll be disheartened to know that each of them had their network hacked in 2009, potentially exposing hundreds of thousands of people's personal information to identity thieves.
And these companies aren't alone. In 2009, hundreds of companies, from small hospitals to big corporations to top secret government agencies, have had their computers compromised. From January 2009 through November 2009, over 13.7 million Americans fell victim to identity thieves, resulting in financial losses totaling upwards of $50 billion.
To put it in a clearer perspective, approximately 7% of all adults have had their identities misused in 2009, with each instance resulting in approximately $3,500 in losses. Additionally, close to 100 million Americans have their personal identifying information placed at risk of identity theft each year when records maintained in government, corporate, and home computers and networks are lost or stolen. These alarming statistics show that identity theft may be the most frequent, costly, and pervasive crime in the United States.
One victim, Suzanne in San Diego, spent 600 hours and nearly $6,000 trying to clear her name when identity thieves stole her information from CitiBank and racked up thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges. But don't fool yourself into thinking that online thieves only go after big companies. The fact is that the favorite targets of online criminals are home and home office computers. Why? Two reasons: 1) These computers are usually not as protected as computers at big companies, and 2) These computers are often connected by broadband to the Internet - since the connection is always open, there is more opportunity to locate these computers with scanners and then break in.
So beware...YOU could be the next victim!
You Can Lower Your Risk of ID Theft
Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take at home, right now, to keep your computer safe and protect your personal information. Each of the following tips are super easy to do and very inexpensive (most are even free). Yet they can save you both time and money, and give you the peace of mind knowing your computer is safe and your personal information is protected.
o Install an anti-virus program. One of the key components to online safety is to have an anti-virus package. Even better is to get a suite that has anti-virus, anti-spyware, and a personal firewall. This way all the programs work together and don't interfere with each other. Regardless of which program you choose, it's best to purchase it from a traditional store or name-brand online retailer you trust rather than download the program from just any "discount" online store. Why? Because when you go to a website to download a program, you never know what you're really getting. There have been instances where people paid money for a downloadable anti-virus program, but what they really paid for was a program filled with viruses. So unless you're on the website of a well-known anti-virus company (and you're 100% certain it's their real site, not a site a criminal has mimicked), get the program at your local office supply store and install it from the disc in the box.
But simply installing the software isn't enough. You also want to go into the "Settings" tab of your program and make sure updates happen on a regular basis. This ensures your version of the product is the most up-to-date. Additionally, make sure scans are actually happening. You can set the scans to be done automatically at a certain time (highly recommended), or you can opt to manually initiate the scans.
o Update your applications. Identity thieves have learned that many people are getting better at downloading patches for their operating systems; however, they also know that most people don't patch their applications (their individual programs). As a result, ID thieves are attacking individual applications to get access to your computer. Some common applications that are being attacked include Adobe Acrobat Reader, Adobe Flash Player, Apple QuickTime, Internet Browsers such as Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer, and many other applications you likely use every day.
Fortunately, many companies are releasing security patches for their applications on a regular basis. So you can go to each company's site directly and look for patches yourself. Another option is a program at www.secunia.com, which offers a software inspector for home users. You can do a scan online and they'll give you a list of the applications on your computer that are not secure. Then they will help you take the necessary steps to enhance your security. No matter how you choose to update your applications, the key is to do it.
o Use a firewall. Many home modems and routers have firewalls in them. Unfortunately, some of the best features of those firewalls are often turned off. You'll likely need an IT professional to help you determine the right settings for you. However, the good news is that something called Network Address Translation, or NAT, is usually automatically turned on and it basically hides the addresses of your devices from the outside world.
Realize that firewalls are often like Swiss cheese. They have to allow some information in and out of your computer; otherwise, you wouldn't be able to access the internet or your email. The challenge for your firewall is determining which information is okay to go in and out. This also means that if a friend or family member is in your house and installs something on your computer with a CD-ROM or DVD, your firewall has no chance of detecting that intrusion because that's not what it's designed for. So you can't just say that you have a firewall and trust it to catch everything.
If you have a small business or if you do stock trading or banking online, you may want to augment the simple firewall that comes in your device with an additional firewall you can purchase, which is much more robust. These devices have extra tools in them that allow the firewall to do its job better. You can also use a program running on your computer, called a software firewall. An example would be the firewall that comes with your operating system or one that comes with an anti-virus package suite. Whatever additional firewall protection you give yourself, the harder you make it for identity thieves to get in and steal your data.
Stay Safe Today
Just as you lock your car when it's parked and you secure your home when you leave for the day, you need to proactively protect your computer. The good news is that staying safe online can be just as simple and second nature as protecting everything else in your life. Start with these three easy solutions. Once you're done, you can move on to other aspects of computer and online safety found in the short and simple videos at www.learntobesafeonline.com. By doing so, you can keep yourself from being the next identity theft victim and save yourself a lot of frustration and thousands of dollars. The choice is yours: do nothing and be a victim, or take action now and reduce your risk. Which do you choose?
Go to http://www.learntobesafeonline.com/ to view free and informative videos on how to protect yourself from online fraud, cyber attacks, phishing schemes, identity theft, and much more. Since we all use the Internet, shouldn't it be a safe place to work, learn, and play? Mike Foster is recognized by many as America's IT Security Specialist and is committed to helping people stay safe online.
