If you’re reading this, you’re obviously connected to the Internet. This means, among other things, that the data on your computer can possibly be accessed. Chances are there are receipts and other sensitive documents you’d rather not have fall into the wrong hands. It’s time to lock down “E-dentity” the same way you would secure your car and house doors!

Here’s the cold, hard reality of your life online… Approximately 9.3 millions Americans felt the brutal pain of falling victim to identity theft in 2005. Fortunately, the number has been falling (somewhat) over the past couple years, however the threat of e-scams is still very real.

There are services you could enroll in to protect yourself from unsavory punks snatching personal info, and it is wise to research these, however there are additional ways you can pro-actively take action in instantly defending yourself today.

Be aware of phishing - Educate yourself on how to spot an e-mail that is attempting to pose as a bank, online service, etc. These scam e-mails which snare log-in names and password are referred to as “phishing attempts”.

Lock your wi-fi - Millions of homes are equipped with wi-fi routers these days, and a large portion of them are wide open for public use. If a router isn’t locked down by a secure key pass, it opens the doors for prying eyes.

Public computers are public billboards - If you must access the web via a public computer such as the ones inside libraries, take caution and do as little personal work on them as possible. Entering credit card numbers on a computer used by hundreds or thousands of other folks defies common sense.

Only order from trusted sites - Amazon is a good example of a trusted online vendor. Their site is secure and encrypted, via SSL and various other security layers. Don’t enter your info into a site you feel isn’t on the up-and-up.

Uphold strong passwords - Don’t recycle passwords and make sure to include a mix of letters, numbers and symbols when possible. Please, don’t use your cat’s name.

QOTD: What measures do you currently take to secure your personal info online? 

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