While everyone is aware of the need to protect themselves (lock their house, lock car doors, wear seat belts, etc.), many people simply don’t do much to protect their most valuable assets – their identity and associated privileged data, like social security numbers, credit card numbers, passwords. Once your privileged data is stolen, recovery is a very long, painful and costly experience. There are five areas you need to consider in order to protect your identity; (1) your email, (2) your computer, (3) your internet access (4) your credit information and (5) your regular mail. By completing just a few simple and easy tasks, everyone can significantly reduce the risk of identity theft.
1. YOUR EMAIL:
a. Be Aware! Whenever you need to share privileged data (social security number, account numbers, passwords) or Non-Public Information (private medical-related or educational information), never send via regular email. And don’t allow organizations that you work with to send or share your privileged or non-public information by regular email. Emails exist on multiple computers and servers, available to anyone who cares to look. A good rule for regular, unsecured emails; only email what you would care to read in the morning newspaper. (Please note that “secure email” and “encrypted email” for purposes of this article are the same process).
b. Use secure email services when sharing your privileged data!
- There are many free or low-cost, low-usage secure email products available on the internet … Use them! Never send your privileged information by way of regular email.
- If you don’t have access to a secure email product and you need to send privileged data to a company, ask the company that is receiving your privileged data, to send you a secure email that you can reply to with your privileged information. (Banks, credit unions, mortgage companies and many other types of organizations are required by law to have secure email, if they email or share any privileged data. Go to https://neocertified.com/email-compliance-information/ to review some of the laws requiring secure email.)
- At a minimum, encrypt individual documents (such as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel documents by selecting “SAVE AS,” then “Tools,” then “General Options” and create a password.) that contain privileged data. You can then email the encrypted document and call the recipient of your email with the password for de-encryption. Do not email the recipient the password.
c. Never respond to an email from a bank, financial institution or government agency requesting you to reconfirm your personal data! No bank, financial institution or government agency will ask for your privileged data by email. And NEVER select the link provided in an email (or open an attachment) that looks fraudulent. Even if the email looks authentic, it’s likely to be fraudulent, attempting to lure you in to expose your personal information through a process called phishing.
Also, it’s extremely helpful to forward any suspicious emails that you may receive to the company’s fraud division. (Go to the company’s website and search for “fraud reporting.”) If you have a question about the legitimacy of an email, call the company or government agency directly (but not with the phone number listed in the email).
2. YOUR COMPUTER:
a. You can easily protect your computer with a free virus protection service (like Microsoft’s Secure Essentials if you use a Microsoft Windows Operating systems (XP, VISTA, or Windows 7.) http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/security-essentials-download.
b. To clean your computer (free up space, delete marketing & tracking cookies, speed up processing, delete temporary files) you can download a number of free products such as CCLeaner (http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download). Or from the Internet Explorer internet browser, you can select the “Tools” tag. Select the “Internet tools” option and select “Delete Browsing History,” which will delete your browsing history, temporary files and cookies. From the Chrome Internet Browser, select the “Options” button on the right-hand side of the address window. Select “Tools,”, then select “Clean Browsing Data,” which allows you to erase your browsing data, temporary files and cookies.
c. Ensure the automatic updating of your virus software and internet browser is enabled. Most virus protection software will update automatically whenever a malicious virus is made public and internet browsers routinely update their software whenever a security risk with their product is identified. If the automatic updating function is not turned on, you can visit the vendor site and have your software updated with the most current version.
3. YOUR INTERNET ACCESS:
a. Use good password policies.
- You know this; change your passwords frequently (at least once every 90 days). Don’t tape your password onto the frame of your computer, don’t use your birth-date, dog’s or childrens’ names for a password, and make your passwords reasonably strong (eight characters, at least one upper case and include a number or special character).
- Test the strength of your password by using a free password testing program,x such as Password Meter (http://www.passwordmeter.com).
- Don’t use the same password on multiple sites or applications. For example, the password for your email should not be the same password as your bank account.
- Do not use your Login I.D. as a password.
b. Only provide your privileged data on secure sites. Only enter your privileged data (social security number, credit cards or account numbers, for example) on websites that are secure; ensure that by checking to make sure their website address starts with https:// or check for the secure page lock symbol on the page. (The “s” in the “https:// indicates that the site is secured.) If the site is not secure, do not enter your private data or call them and give your information to them over the phone.
c. Read a company’s privacy policies when sharing your data. Go to the website of the company that you are going to provide with your personal data (name, email, etc.) and review their Privacy Policy. Do they sell or share your information with other organizations? Some security experts suggest you provide your name with a false middle-initial and if you receive an email with the incorrect middle-initial, you know who shared your data.
d. Again, ensure the automatic updating of your virus software and internet browser is enabled. Many data breaches take place even when a patch for a user’s virus protection and internet browser was readily available, prior to the data breach.
4. YOUR CREDIT INFORMATION
a. Check your credit reports at least once a year. You don’t have to pay for your credit report. Simply go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ to obtain your credit report for free once a year from the three primary credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Transunion and Experian). You want to check all three reports, as not all of your creditors may be listed on each report. If you need to check your credit report more than once a year, the credit reports only cost a few dollars.
b. Promptly challenge any information that is incorrect! Each company provides you with a process to challenge specific negative entries on your credit report.
c. Contact credit reporting services to place a security alert on your credit info every six months. Most credit reporting services allow you to place a security alert on your credit reports requiring the credit agency contacts you directly before releasing your credit report to anyone requesting it. Typically, the credit reporting agencies will keep the alert on your account for six months, so you need to renew the alert before six months in order to have continuous protection.
d. Change your credit card numbers periodically. Many security experts suggest you use just one credit card for your online purchases, so that in the event it is stolen or misused, you only have one company to contact to inform of the loss or misuse of your credit card. Also, call the company and have them re-issue your card with a new account number every 12-18 months.
5. YOUR REGULAR MAIL:
a. Shred credit offer mailings – invest in a cross shredder. Credit offers, and many other business offers that you receive in the regular mail, frequently have your full name and address pre-printed on the response forms. You need to shred these documents as they are the perfect start for credit thieves attempting to steal your identity.
b. Invest in a locking mail box. Many data thieves simply open your mail box and steal your mail, which may contain credit offerings, credit cards, bank and credit statements, or steal your out-going mail with signed checks. (Signed checks are easily “washed” to change the name that the check is issued to, as well as the amount of the check. Most office supply stores sell pens with “anti-wash” ink that reduces the risk of the of check fraud by “washing.”)
c. Minimize your junk mail. Mail-order catalog and junk mail providers typically allow you to opt-out of mailing from their website.
Other things you can do: contact the companies, state and local governments that possess your information and insist that they ensure your privileged data is protected when it is in transit (when they email your data to other organizations) or when the data is stored on their systems. Look at what happened in North Carolina. A simple phishing email was opened by a state employee, which allowed a Russian data thief to steal hundreds of unprotected names, credit card and social security numbers (http://www.wbtv.com/story/19926154/social-security-breach-nikki-haley-south-carolina-credit-cards-hacker). The most important thing to remember – Security is a process, not a product. Protect yourself!
Peter Schaub
NeoCertified – President & CEO
