Peter D. asked:
Identity theft or fraud are often used interchangeably. However, this is kind of a misnomer. There has to be a theft before fraud gets committed. This information is, of course, of little use to the victim.
Gone are the days of rummaging through somebody’s dumpster in order to collect some personal information. Sure, these practices still exist, but you would have to be pretty down and out to employ these kind of methods if you have access to a computer and the internet.
To continue the rummaging through the dumpster analogy, even if you didn’t have access to the internet, a criminal might go after redundant equipment like personal computers or even servers that have been disposed of without wiping the data on the harddisk.
Modern day criminals specializing in identity fraud are much more likely to use the internet by infecting your computer with Trojan horses containing spyware and all sorts of extra goodies.
Phishing is another one of their favorite tactics. Impersonating a well-known company in an email or through a fake website inviting you to enter you personal credentials.
If you are a MySpace, Facebook etc… user, you also want to watch over which personal details you publicize. Cyber-criminals are on the lookout for new opportunities every single day.
Online identity fraud protection starts with installing an antivirus program. This is your very first and basic line of defense. While you are at it, you might also consider installing an antispyware program as a second line of defense. Most antivirus programs have antispyware capabilities, but not as a good as a dedicated antispyware program.
Another, very important thing to mention, is that you should not hook up your computer straight to internet. Have a router sitting in between your computer and the world wide web. Anyone trying to get access to your computer would have to hack the router first in order to start hacking your PC.
Keylogging or taking a copy of your desktop is another favorite pastime of cyber-criminals. Always try to stay one step ahead of them by patching your PC and installing the necessary security software.
Sue
Identity theft or fraud are often used interchangeably. However, this is kind of a misnomer. There has to be a theft before fraud gets committed. This information is, of course, of little use to the victim.
Gone are the days of rummaging through somebody’s dumpster in order to collect some personal information. Sure, these practices still exist, but you would have to be pretty down and out to employ these kind of methods if you have access to a computer and the internet.
To continue the rummaging through the dumpster analogy, even if you didn’t have access to the internet, a criminal might go after redundant equipment like personal computers or even servers that have been disposed of without wiping the data on the harddisk.
Modern day criminals specializing in identity fraud are much more likely to use the internet by infecting your computer with Trojan horses containing spyware and all sorts of extra goodies.
Phishing is another one of their favorite tactics. Impersonating a well-known company in an email or through a fake website inviting you to enter you personal credentials.
If you are a MySpace, Facebook etc… user, you also want to watch over which personal details you publicize. Cyber-criminals are on the lookout for new opportunities every single day.
Online identity fraud protection starts with installing an antivirus program. This is your very first and basic line of defense. While you are at it, you might also consider installing an antispyware program as a second line of defense. Most antivirus programs have antispyware capabilities, but not as a good as a dedicated antispyware program.
Another, very important thing to mention, is that you should not hook up your computer straight to internet. Have a router sitting in between your computer and the world wide web. Anyone trying to get access to your computer would have to hack the router first in order to start hacking your PC.
Keylogging or taking a copy of your desktop is another favorite pastime of cyber-criminals. Always try to stay one step ahead of them by patching your PC and installing the necessary security software.
Sue
