Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

<br /> <p>Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug trade. Identity theft intrusions can come from a variety of sources and places where you hang out on the internet. Even some of our favorite sites like Face Book and My Space are not scam proof and you can very easily lose your personal information on the internet in a variety of ways.</p><p>The dangers of identity theft are accentuated with rapid growth of wireless communications such as the Wi-Fi. What once appeared to be a harmless and time efficient activity, browsing the net or checking your email in your favorite book store, library, coffee shop or in hotels while on travel has turned out to be extremely dangerous because you can very easily lose your personal information. There are countless identity thieves with wireless snifters around these places trying to get your credit card number, social security number, any identifying information and even the IP address of your computer.</p><p>However, due to extensive coverage in the media most people are now getting serious about preventing Identity Theft. Most, computers come with one of the many Internet Security Software available in the market place today. What started as software to protect computers from viruses has grown into very elaborate and complex suite of security features. These days top Internet security software come with features that stop viruses, spy ware and computer hacking attempts; set parental controls and even alert you of phishing attempts. They come with parental controls, advanced firewall options and even network monitoring for wireless networks. Some of them even have tools to clean up accumulated unwanted files and clutter and cookies from the internet, erase traces of personal information and surfing history. Some of the latest features introduced in top internet security software now include some form of Identity Theft Protection measures such as password protection and authentication of trusted sites.</p><p>Are these measures enough and fool proof? Certainly not. It is a long way from a total secure environment. There are two things that come in the way. Browser security and router security. It is important to keep your computer updated with latest updates and security patches of its operating system (mostly Windows) and browser (Internet explorer and others). Both of these concerns are being addressed better than in the past but still pose a great deal of vulnerability. Hackers have the ability to find vulnerabilities and can beat firewalls. So it is far from a secure system.</p><p>The second point of vulnerability is the router security in a networked computer. But it is also one of the most overlooked and perhaps the best methods of protecting your computer from intrusion and your self against identity theft on the internet.</p><p>It is the router which assigns an IP address to the computer linked to the net. IP address is a unique identifying numerical tag for each computer device linked to a network or the internet. It is this address that gets logged on and identified whenever you are connected to the internet. Your browsing history at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can trace all your internet activity. You can use the router to change your IP and you can make the connection secure by built in encryption capabilities of the router.</p><p>However, topping all these security measures is the introduction of IP Changer software that rapidly change IP by using a number of proxy servers at many different locations. By routing your internet connection through these anonymous proxies, the sites you visit will get one of many IP addresses other than your own, thus hiding your real IP address from potential hackers and identity thieves. These software and anonymous proxies have become very efficient and send your data in encrypted form without noticeable drop in internet connection performance. Thus Rapid IP change with the help of the new IP changer software allow you anonymous surfing that in combination with data encryption and most advanced Internet Security Software suites provide the most comprehensive shield against Identity Theft as of now.</p><p>It is remarkable how a simple idea to Change IP and well established encryption technology can bring us a safer and more secure internet connectivity and protect us against Identity Theft more comprehensively than the best Internet Security software alone.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug tra...

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Hacking Mobile Phones For Identity Theft

<br /> <p>History indicates that we are at the forefront of an era in which criminal hackers develop tools and techniques to steal your money using your own cell phone.</p><p>Fifteen years ago, cell phones were so bulky and cumbersome, they had to be carried in bags or briefcases. Then they became chunky, heavy bricks. Calls dropped every other minute. Clearly, cell phones have evolved since then. Today's cell phone is a lot more than a phone. It's a computer, one that rivals many desktops and laptops being manufactured today. A cell phone can pretty much do everything a PC can do, including online shopping, banking, and merchant credit card processing.</p><p>The personal computer started out slow and stodgy, and was mainly used for things like word processing and solitaire. Today, PCs are fast, multimedia machines, capable of performing amazing tasks.</p><p>There are consequences to the rapid evolution of these technologies.</p><p>A decade ago, during the slow, dial up era, hackers (and, in the beginning, phreakers) hacked for fun and fame. Many wreaked havoc, causing problems that crippled major networks. And they did it without today's sophisticated technology.</p><p>Meanwhile, the dot-com boom and bust occurred. Then, as e-commerce picked up speed, high speed and broadband connections made it easier to shop and bank online, quickly and efficiently. Around 2003, social networking was born, in the form of online dating services and Friendster. PCs became integral to our fiscal and social lives. We funneled all our personal and financial information onto our computers, and spent more and more of our time on the Internet. And the speed of technology began to drastically outpace the speed of security. Seeing an opportunity, hackers began hacking for profit, rather than fun and fame.</p><p>Now, iPhones and other smart phones have become revolutionary computers themselves. For the next generation, the phone is replacing the PC. AT&T recently announced that they'll be upping the speed of the latest version of their 3G network, doubling download speeds. It has been reported that the next iPhone will have 32 gigabytes. That's more hard drive than my three year old laptop.</p><p>So naturally, criminal hackers are considering the possibilities offered by cell phones today, just as they were looking at computers five years ago.</p><p>Two things have changed the game: the speed and advancement of technology and spyware. Spyware was created as a legitimate technology for PCs. Spyware tracks and records social network activities, online searches, chats, instant messages, emails sent and received, websites visited, keystrokes typed and programs launched. It can be the equivalent of digital surveillance, revealing every stroke of the user's mouse and keyboard. Parents can use spyware to monitor their young children's surfing habits and employers can make sure their employees are working, as opposed to surfing for porn all day.</p><p>Criminal hackers created a cocktail of viruses and spyware, which allows for the infection and duplication of a virus that gives the criminal total, remote access to the user's data. This same technology is being introduced to cell phones as "snoopware." Legitimate uses for snoopware on phones do exist: silently recording caller information, seeing GPS positions, monitoring kids' and employees' mobile web and text messaging activities. Criminal hackers have taken the snoopware and spyware technology even further. Major technology companies agree that almost any cell phone can be hacked into and remotely controlled. Malicious software can be sent to the intended victim disguised as a picture or audio clip, and when the victim clicks on it, malware is installed.</p><p>One virus, called "<a href="http://www.viruslist.com/en/viruses/encyclopedia?virusid=113394" rel="nofollow" target="_new">Red Browser</a>," was created specifically to infect mobile phones using Java. It can be installed directly on a phone, should physical access be obtained, or this malicious software can be disguised as a harmless download. Bluetooth infared is also a point of vulnerability. Once installed, the Red Browser virus allows the hacker to remotely control the phone and its features, such as the camera and microphone.</p><p>The Kuykendalls, of Tacoma, Washington, found that several of their phones had been hijacked in order to spy on them. They say the hacker was able to turn a compromised phone on and off, use the phone's camera to take pictures, and use the speakerphone as a bug. </p><p>If history is any indication of the future, mobile phones, just like computers, will soon be regularly hacked for financial gain. Prepare for mCrime in the form of credit card fraud, identity theft and data breaches.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Hacking Mobile Phones For Identity Theft

History indicates that we are at the forefront of an era in which criminal hackers develop tools and techniques to steal your money using...

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Internet Identity Theft - Wireless Network Security Issues

<P>Seems that everything's going wireless these days and though it may be super convenient, it also brings up some issues about safety and security of your personal information. So we will be discussing some issues concerning wireless network security.</P><br /><P>Since many of us may be coming online to do some business or to accomplish our shopping tasks, it is crucial to understand that there are security risks to using just any available wireless network.</P><br /><P>Be aware of wireless network security issues including the risk that hackers could potentially break into that wireless network and get the information that can allow your identity to be stolen or allows the thieves to drain all of the money from your accounts. That is why it is so important for you to give some serious thoughts to wireless network security if you are often faced with using this type of technology.</P><br /><P>Facts are that most home systems have build in wireless network security that is reliable and this should give you peace of mind. These systems are made so that no one can access them unless they have a specific access code.</P><br /><P>If you have a wireless system, then you may notice that your computer can offer up many different signal choices when you go to connect your computer to the Internet. You will also notice that some of them are secure (requiring a password), and some of them are not.</P><br /><P>You may be able to hook up to the unsecured ones, but unless you have access to a password you should not be able to access the secured ones. This is because their wireless network security is in place and working properly.</P><br /><P>Nowadays, laptops make it very easy for anyone to get online in certain public places but heed the warning that always comes along with this!</P><br /><P>During these times is when you should be considering your wireless network security. Most nice hotels and coffee houses among other places, offer free wireless Internet. However, there is very little security when you use these types of services.</P><br /><P>For the sake of wireless network security, you should never use this type of access for important things like personal banking or shopping using Paypal or your credit cards. Thieves could very easily get into your accounts this way because you have made it extremely easy for them to see your personal information.</P><br /><P>If you are in a hotel using their wireless Internet, and you find that you really must to do some personal banking, then ask the hotel if they have a business center that has a secure connection for this. Never disregard the importance of seeking wireless network security even in the safest looking places!</P><br /><P>Also, remember that even though you may have found something that works for you and is convenient in a public business center, you have to be aware that someone will be coming along after you have long gone to use that same computer. So be sure to sign out of everything, and clear the cookies and history before you leave any public computer.</P><br /><P>Even though wireless network security is risky, leaving behind clues on any secure connection shared with others can be risky as well.</P><br /><P>Always use caution with any type of connection, even if it is one that comes from your home. Although, this is a much bigger worry in urban areas, remember that identity theft can happen in small cities or towns as well.</P>

Internet Identity Theft - Wireless Network Security Issues

Seems that everything's going wireless these days and though it may be super convenient, it also brings up some issues about safety and ...

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Identity Theft Protection For Computer Savvy Individuals - Part IV

<P>Technology, particularly computer and internet, has changed a lot in a very short span of time. Before, internet was only used by elite corporations and huge firms but nowadays, they can be accessed at home. Networking was a concept that was exclusively for the use of IT professionals but with the latest improvements in computer interface, these functionalities can now be easily set up at home by individual users.</P><br /><P>Most homes nowadays have multiple computers. The most practical way of having all your computers connected to the internet is through a router and a wireless home network. This fourth article in the series will share how you can secure your wireless home networks thereby shielding you and your family against the dangers of identity theft.</P><br /><P>Secure your wireless home networks.</P><br /><P>There are various ways on how you can secure your wireless networks. Here's how:</P><br /><P>1. Set up WEP/WPA Encryption. Most routers that are being shipped nowadays come with default configuration page that allows its users to easily make changes with their wireless computer networks. The first step in securing your wireless home networks against identity theft is to set up a WEP/WPA encryption. In layman's terms, this encryption is a password which you need to key in before you can connect to your wireless network. Tip: do not use passwords that are easily guessed and whenever possible, use a combination of both letters and numbers.</P><br /><P>2. Change default user name and password. Router manufacturers have a universal user name and password (across all brands) that you can use to open the configuration page of the router and make changes. Immediately when you set up your wireless home network, you need to change this default user name and password so that you can be sure that even if someone hacks into your wireless network, they will not be able to make any changes. This way you not only protect your computers and network, you are also protecting your identity against identity theft.</P><br /><P>3. Disable SSID broadcast. SSID is your network name. Often, the default SSID of your router is the manufacturer's name. On default also, this network name is broadcasted meaning when you open your laptop's wireless function, it will automatically pick up the signal that it detects from your wireless home network as it is broadcasted. "Sniffers" are people who detect wireless signals and they work closely together with computer hackers. Disabling SSID broadcast can protect your network from sniffers and you can sleep well knowing that no one knows that you do have a wireless network at home.</P><br /><P>4. Enable MAC filtering. Each computer that you connect to your network has its own MAC number. With MAC filtering, you are simply registering each MAC number of your computers to your router so that it will only give internet access to those computers whose MAC numbers it recognizes. This is another form of security encryption that can significantly help you fight computer hacking and identity theft.</P>

Identity Theft Protection For Computer Savvy Individuals - Part IV

Technology, particularly computer and internet, has changed a lot in a very short span of time. Before, internet was only used by elite corp...

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Thin Client Technology, Laptops and Identity Theft

<P><B>The Laptop Theft Epidemic </B></P><br /><P>Possibly one of the most terrifying thefts that can happen to you is the theft of your laptop. Whether it's your own personal computer, or a company computer you've taken along on a business trip, your laptop holds unaccountable information that probably you yourself don't even know is there. A lot of information is in the form of passwords and web url's that give a thief access to anything from your bank account numbers to your credit card statements, Federal and State tax forms, and that Holy Grail of all Holy Grails -- your Social Security Number. Data on your computer is, of course, fully accessible to the thief.</P><br /><P>According to Laptop Theft Resources, 20% of Data Breaches in 2008 were due to laptop theft.</P><br /><P><B>Beyond the personal nightmare </B></P><br /><P>But beyond the personal nightmare of having your own identity stolen comes information about your clients, either of your personal business or the company you may be working for. Recent horror stories include stolen laptops from insurance companies that keep the personal data of 10's of thousands of clients. These have been stolen from employees who took the computer out of the office to do some work at home.</P><br /><P>It's estimated that an ordinary notebook contains $972,000 dollars worth of sensitive information and some could store over eight million dollars. Theft of a laptop makes up over 54% of all Identity Theft incidents and since 2005, there have been more than 150 million data breaches resulting in Identity Theft (Absolute Software). Yet, there seems to be an unaccountable apathy toward laptop theft. Starbucks, for example, reported in 2008 a theft that involved 97000 unencrypted records, social security numbers, and passwords but according to Laptop Theft Resources, media response was minimal, and the public seemed uninterested.</P><br /><P><B>The Thin Client Solution to Identity Theft </B></P><br /><P>By placing the lion's share of information on a remote server and gaining access to it by strongly encrypted passwords, a thin client laptop effectively puts all the information processed by it out of the ID thief's reach. The theft of a laptop would then involve only the hardware involved, and since a thin client's value is only $500 - $600 (or less) this represents a much lower loss than a fully equipped laptop which can run well over $2000. And with modern theft recovery services such as LOJACK, the thin client can be easily recovered.</P><br /><P>So why isn't there a high demand for thin client laptops?</P><br /><P><B>Little Demand for Thin Client Laptops? </B></P><br /><P>So far, consideration of thin client technology has been pretty much limited to the Corporation. Consumers seem to have little demand for it. Several reasons might account for this: 1) Consumers want all of their software, data, and storage under their direct control. 2)The infrastructure is not yet fully developed. Google is working on the back end services necessary for thin client solutions. 3)The "airplane solution" has not yet been fully worked out. This solution would enable you to work on your data in places where access to the Internet is not available. 4) Wireless networks need to improve in band width and security. 5) Security of the remote servers and databases would have to be absolute and not hackable. Hacking into remote systems would be far more devastating than the theft of a single laptop. Instead of exposing 96000 people to Identity Theft, conceivably 100 million could be exposed once the system becomes universally accepted.</P><br /><P><B>Is There a Future for Thin Client Notebooks? </B></P><br /><P>Perhaps, though, the main hindrance to consumer acceptance of thin client laptops is apathy toward Identity Theft. In spite of the daily horror stories appearing in newspapers and on the Internet, we seem to cling to the attitude that "it happened to the other guy but it can't happen to me". Nothing could be farther from the truth, but until we as consumers really face the fact that any one of us can become victims at any time, we won't really be willing to overcome our aversion to complete control, and possession, of all of our data on our personal computers.</P><br /><P>Data can be made absolutely secure on a remote server; we have the technology for that. With that in mind, it becomes obvious that thin client laptops are the ultimate answer to laptop Identity Theft. But will we all someday be processing our data remotely, when a laptop theft involves the theft of hardware only? Will that day come?</P><br /><P>It depends... It depends on you and me, and whether we are willing to take the step to the new paradigm of having our data and processing power located on a remote computer, not in our direct possession. We need first to recognize that Identity Theft is a horror that can indeed happen to us, and make whatever changes are necessary to prevent it. Secondly, we need to realize that the data we think is under our control can easily fall into the hands of a thief and will NO LONGER be in our possession.</P><br /><P>Then we will be ready for "thin client" laptops.</P>

Thin Client Technology, Laptops and Identity Theft

The Laptop Theft Epidemic Possibly one of the most terrifying thefts that can happen to you is the theft of your laptop. Whether it's yo...

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Computer Hacking - Identity Theft and What Else?

<P>Computer hacking is now done side by side with identity theft. This makes it more dangerous for internet users are hackers often use the backdoor of any computer system to obtain personal information and other sensitive data that they can use to gain profit.</P><br /><P>Various methods have been employed by computer hackers to steal the personal information of their victims. Some use malicious software that automatically embeds itself on the computer and acts as keyloggers. These keyloggers record every keystroke punched in the user's keyboard and saved in a log file which are then sent online to its "home base" when the user gets online. Others use phishing emails and fake websites where users are lured into entering their personal information.</P><br /><P><B>So how can computer hacking affect you?</B></P><br /><P>Computer hacking affects the security of your computer. It is a breach to your security measures and are oftentimes, diabolical in nature. Once your computer is hacked, your personal data and other sensitive information saved in your hard drive is exposed and your privacy is ruptured. Your personal details like social security numbers, bank account data and personal photos are exposed which can significantly increase the chances of you being a victim of identity theft. You and your personal data are now vulnerable to manipulation and fraud.</P><br /><P>When hackers are able to get into the backdoor of your computer, they can then delete sensitive information that they can get their hands on. Your sensitive personal data can be deleted or manipulated, even your usernames and passwords. Everything that you have saved in your computer can be instantly omitted without your knowledge and you will be left frustrated and disgruntled. Often, after getting all the information that they need, they plant malicious software in their victim's computer that, at the precise moment of "detonation" can cause your computer to crash.</P><br /><P>Identity theft can be a by-product of computer hacking as discussed earlier. Identity theft is fraudulent activity that involves another individual posing as another person by using his or her victim's personal information. Simply put, identity theft is using another person's identity without his or her consent for another persons' personal financial interest.</P><br /><P>The new advancements in technology has allowed various criminals to use the internet for their illegal activities. Key logging software masked as spywares have become very popular. This particular program tracks and records every keystroke done by the user which then facilitates stealing passwords and other account details. At times, even computer passwords are logged which then enable computer hackers to enable total computer services unavailable to its user. For instance, websites that are hacked cannot be accessed by internet users, even its registered members. This then creates inconvenience on the part of the user, and loss of profits for the site owners. When all these are hacked, account details of members including their personal information. Identity theft then occurs.</P><br /><P>Identity theft has never been this serious. Technological advancements, despite the various security measures, are still not capable of eradicating this serious threat with all the hacking activities that prevail.</P>

Computer Hacking - Identity Theft and What Else?

Computer hacking is now done side by side with identity theft. This makes it more dangerous for internet users are hackers often use the bac...

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Internet Security Tips - Save Your Computer From Privacy Theft, Hackers & Phishers

<br /> <p>If you are using a computer that is not within the confines of your home, you should be really careful. The open boundaries of Internet has transformed communication on Internet in a big way, it has brought computer users globally together and are able to send messages and data at the click of mouse. This openness of unguarded communication has also created security threat for computer users. The hackers and criminals are always lookout for unguarded computers, which can be hacked and used as zombies to launch attack on other computer or networks.</p><p>This is because using these computers compromises your security and make you extremely vulnerable to any type of malware attack, especially spyware. Of course, there are some things that you can do to ensure your security whenever you are using these computers.</p><p>First of all, you should never access your bank account or use a credit card on a public computer, like those that you will find in a coffee shop, airport or library. This is because the security risks in doing such activities are just too high. It is best to approach these computers as though they have a "key logger." This is a type of spyware software that is actually able to record every keystroke that you make on the computer that is affected with this form of spyware. As such, putting personal information into these computers will give "hackers" easy access to your accounts and other such sensitive data.</p><p>As a smart computer user you need to implement following procedures to safe guard your privacy and valuable data.</p><p><b>Install Anti-Virus software</b></p><p>Install any good anti-virus software on your system. This software will ensure no unauthorized software is downloaded on your system, stops attack from virus and computer worms. This virus scanner will help in detecting and removing the viruses and worms. It is recommended to scan your computer full at least once a week. You can also schedule your weekly scan and put it on auto method.</p><p><b>Install Firewall software</b></p><p>As name sounds it is a security ring around your data and application residing on your system. The firewall puts additional security ring around your system to block unauthorized access to your computer for data or personal theft. In case you have DSL, Broadband or wireless system at home it becomes very important to install firewall to guard from hackers. Equally important is to install firewall with full features and with password protected Internet access, ensuring no one other than you can tap to Internet access through your computer.</p><p><b>Do not open E-mail Attachments </b></p><p>The Hackers and Viruses makers often use e-mail attachment to spread viruses in computers and computer networks. Once you open an e-mail attachment infected with virus, it will start taking over your system and hijack your e-mail contact address. The virus program will use your e-mail contacts to spread it other computers. This information also can be used by Internet advertisers for sales promotions.</p><p>Avoid opening e-mail attachments received from unauthorized source. Use virus scanner to scan for any virus or worm trace, if found delete the mail from your system and put senders address in block list.</p><p><b>Back up computer data.</b></p><p>It is always good practice to take daily or weekly backup of your computer data. In case of damaged computer or corrupted data, you can always restore your last saved copy to resume work. Make this practice daily to be on top of your work. Together with anti-virus and firewall in place you will be one step ahead of Internet crooks and hackers.</p><p><b>Protect Your Password.</b></p><p>Create your password with the combination of characters and numbers. Do not keep password based on your name, last name, nickname or date of birth, because these are very easy for someone to figure your password. Change your passwords frequently and keep your different passwords for credit card or bank account. This will stop you from getting profiled by hackers and saves your identity.</p><p><b>Live Software Updates.</b></p><p>The makers of operating software, application software or anti-virus software often find holes in their software. In order to block these bugs in software they release software updates for their users. These updates are important, one it tighten the security for software and also they update known list of viruses in your system. Always keep live update option open for your operating software and anti-virus software.</p><p><b>Free Software Download.</b></p><p>Nothing is free, avoid visiting website, which give free software. The free software always comes with adware program to pay for their development cost. Once you have downloaded free software, either it will start showing ads in the form pop-up or it will record your Internet interest in terms of what you like and where you shop. This will help Internet advertisers to send you right set of ads.</p><p>Above all be proactive in safeguarding your privacy. This will not only help you in safeguarding your computer but also other computers connected to open boundaries of Internet.</p><p><br /> Do not share your passwords with other computer users. <br /> Do not share your personal- information in chat room with strangers. <br /> Do not download free software unless it is from trusted source.<br /> Avoid public computers for accessing your financial institution such as banks and credit card companies. <br /> Do not respond to mails asking you to provide your personal information, where sender is pretending to be one from your bank or credit card company.<br /> Do not respond to mails claiming you have won jackpot, golden rule if you didn't buy lottery ticket then you didn't win any lottery. <br /></p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p><a href="http://www.spywareantivirus.info" target="_new">http://www.spywareantivirus.info</a></p> <br />

Internet Security Tips - Save Your Computer From Privacy Theft, Hackers & Phishers

If you are using a computer that is not within the confines of your home, you should be really careful. The open boundaries of Internet h...

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How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft Through E-Bay & Paypal

<br /> <p>I decided to write this article after I become a victim of identity theft on November 7, 2006. Before this happened to me , I used to be one of those people that think things like this could and would never happen to me, I do not feel this way anymore. I found out the hard way that if you do not take all the necessary step to protect yourself from identity theft, that sometime in your life you could become a victim.</p><p>First off, let me tell you what happened to me. On the morning of November 7, 2006 I got on my computer to check my emails and do all my usual activity related to my home businesses that I am involved in.</p><p>When I opened up my email program I noticed the first 50 or so emails were from eBay saying "You have won such and such" item. I am thinking to myself that these emails must be fake emails as I had not bought anything from E-Bay recently. So I thought the next time I go onto eBay I will check and see if these emails were in my messages in my eBay account.</p><p>Just then my friend called me to ask me if I could go on E-bay and look for something for her as her computer was down (That was my blessing as it would turn out) I go into my E-bay account and as I am looking for this item for her I notice I had a new feedback score, and I knew I should not have a new score as I did not purchase anything new recently.</p><p>I click on my feedback to see where this came from, and to my surprise I received feedback from one of the sellers that sold an item that was in those emails I had gotten from E-bay. At this point in time I am starting to freak out here because I am now realizing that the emails I received from E-bay were not fake emails apparently. I tell my friend I will call her back.</p><p>I click into my PayPal account and I see that I have 50+ transactions through eBay and as I am looking at my computer and reviewing the transactions, I realize that someone (I later found out my computer was hacked into) has purchased items through eBay totaling almost $4000.00. I am sure you can probably imagine my reaction!!</p><p>I immediately called PayPal (very upset and crying) to explain to them that I did not purchase any of these items and I in no way authorized anyone to do so. The woman I talked to was very nice and understanding and calmed me down enough to walk me through the necessary steps that I needed to go through to dispute the transactions and to stop the payments from going through.</p><p>She helped me with the forms I needed to file through them and after we did that, she told me to print out these forms and take them to my bank, so I would not incur any fees when these charges come through. She told me that they will further investigate and would take action.</p><p>She gave me some advice that I already knew, but did not always do (or keep up with) to protect myself. It is my hope that in writing this article, I can help stop people from making the same mistakes I did, so that they do not fall prey to this Identity theft as I have.</p><p>Below are ways that you can avoid becoming a victim:</p><p>(1) Never open up any suspicious emails, especially if you do not recognize who they are from.</p><p>These emails are called Phishing emails.</p><p>What Are Phishing Emails?</p><p>Phishing emails are deceptively-legitimate looking email from what appears to be a reputable company. The email asks recipients to update their credit card information or their account will be promptly terminated. Or the message offers a service to protect their credit cards from possible fraud.</p><p>Often "phishing" email messages will use legitimate 'From:' email addresses, logos, and links to reputable businesses such as AOL, PayPal, Best Buy, Earthlink and eBay in the message. But the message instructs you to click on a web link that sends you to a fake website where you are asked to provide personal information to the scam artists. Such sites will ask for information such as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), and bank or credit card account number. Providing this kind of information can leave consumers at risk for identity theft.</p><p>I found an article that has some tips that offer some tips and advice.:</p><p>You can read the article below<br /><br><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/07/21/phishing.scam/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://edition.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/07/21/phishing.scam/index.html</a></p><p>If you do receive any emails that say they are from E-bay (or any other suspicious ones), do not click on the link (s) inside these emails.</p><p>If you do receive any emails that say they are from E-bay (or any other suspicious ones), do not click on the link (s) inside these emails. When you click on this link, you will be taken to a page that tells you to put in your username and password. This is more than likely why this happened to me. If the emails are really from eBay you will see it in your eBay account under my messages.</p><p>(2) Make sure you have a reliable (Not Free) firewall installed on your computer</p><p>I thought I had a good reliable firewall, but as it turned out I did not. My husband had gotten a free firewall for our computer through his AKO account through The National Guards. I will never use a free firewall on my computer again. I now have Mcafee Firewall installed on my computer. It is reasonably priced and it worth the money and then some. You can download a 30 day free full functioning trial and then pay for the firewall after 30 days. I absolutely love this firewall. This firewall has the option to completely lock down your computer when you are not on it.</p><p>This is a great feature if your computer is constantly connected to the Internet due to having cable internet or any other internet provider that has broadband.</p><p>You can get Mcafee below</p><p><a href="http://us.mcafee.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://us.mcafee.com/</a></p><p>(3) Make sure you have a anti-virus software installed on your computer, and keep it up to date.</p><p>I had one on my computer but it was out of date and I never got around to getting a newer version. I now use Mcafee's Anti Virus software as well as their other software. I bought their Internet Security Suite. It has</p><p>A. Offers 8 in 1 protection for your identity, PC, and online experience.</p><p>B. Provides online security from Identity Thieves, Spammers, and Predators.</p><p>C. Protects your PC from viruses, hackers and spyware.</p><p>D. Backs Up and Restores your photos, music and important files.</p><p>E. Protects your online experience so you can surf the Web, shop, bank, e-mail and instant message safely and securely.</p><p>F. Keeps your PC healthy and secure.</p><p>G. Backs Up photos, music, videos, and other important files automatically.</p><p>H. Intercepts prohibited Web sites, unwanted activity and offensive pictures to keep your family safe</p><p>I. Simplifies security with the new and improved McAfee® SecurityCenter.</p><p>J. Warns you about sites which send spam, install adware, or attempt online scams.</p><p>K. Shields your PC around the clock: always on, always protecting, always updating. <br /><br>You Can check it out below</p><p><a href="http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=272" rel="nofollow" target="_new">http://us.mcafee.com/root/package.asp?pkgid=272</a></p><p>(3) Never save your passwords in your computer.</p><p>Especially your Online Banking info, E-bay, PayPal, Etc. I (I should have known better) did indeed save all my passwords for every website I use frequently, including, my Online Banking info, PayPal, and eBay. Doing this leaves you vulnerable (as I have found out) to become a victim of Identity theft.</p><p>I have since restored my computer (of course I lost everything...but I was taking no more chances) and have changed my usernames and passwords for everything, and did not store them to my computer. I now have each one wrote down in a notebook and kept in my desk.</p><p>If you do become a victim, there are things you can do dispute these transactions. Here Is what I had to do:</p><p>(1) Immediately contact PayPal.</p><p>You can find their number under the help center. Explain to them that there are transactions that you did not authorize, and they will walk you through the steps you need to take to dispute them and to correct them.</p><p>(2) Go right away to your bank with the forms that PayPal will have you print out.</p><p>This will stop you from incurring any fees and you can make sure that no money is paid out on these disputed transactions.</p><p>Finally, let me tell you that for a few days or so (up to 10 days) things will be a mess with your PayPal and Bank accounts, but rest assured things will be corrected for you.</p><p>I am happy to report that things are starting to clear up for me with my PayPal and Bank accounts. My husband and I with the advice of our Bank closed our bank account and opened up a new one, just to be safe. My situation could have been a lot worse for me had it not been for my friend calling me up to ask me to go to eBay and look for something for her. I would not have caught this right away and it could have been longer before things got cleared up for me.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Tina M Barraclough Is A Wife And A Mother Of Five Beautiful Children. She Has Been A Stay At Home Home Mom Since September Of 2001. She Has Been Involved In Several Successful Home Based Businesses, And Has Been Very Successful With Them. She Is The Webmaster of <a href="http://best-home-based-business-idea.com/" target="_new">Best Home Based Business Idea.Com</a> Visit Her Website Today To Find Some Honest And Legit Work At Home Business Opportunities .</p> <br />

How You Can Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft Through E-Bay & Paypal

I decided to write this article after I become a victim of identity theft on November 7, 2006. Before this happened to me , I used to be ...

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Identity Theft - It's Not What You Think

<br /> <p>By this time in 2007 it should be clear to just about everyone that identity theft is a real and growing problem throughout the world, but especially here in the United States where there is so much affluence (and of course available credit). The Federal Trade Commission reports that for the 5th year in a row identity theft topped the list of consumer complaints. In this article we will explore what identity theft is, how it is most commonly perpetrated, and how big of a threat it really is to the average consumer.</p><p><strong>Credit Card Fraud versus Identity Theft</strong></p><p>When someone illegally obtains your credit card information and uses it then that is credit card fraud. It is not identity theft in the purest sense but when the government estimates the number of identity theft victims and the financial impact of identity theft it generally includes this number. The term most commonly used now is Identity Fraud which broadens the scope to include credit card fraud. In 2006 the total estimated cost of identity fraud was $56.6 billion, up from $54.4 billion in 2005. Credit card fraud accounts for approximately 26% of identity theft. The balance of identity theft is comprised mostly of new account identity theft, where your personal information is compromised to the point where the thief is able to establish new accounts (bank, credit card, utilities) in your name. This type of theft can have a devastating effect on an individual's life and can take years and thousands of dollars to clean up and restore your good name. Some individuals never recover from this type of identity theft.</p><p><strong>Identity Theft Thieves<br /><br></strong><br>Most people think of identity theft thieves as individuals or small groups working together, digging through trash or stealing mail. While these are legitimate methods used by thieves, there is also a much broader identity theft market that get little media attention. And that is from computer data breaches. The amount of personal information compromised from computer breaches in this country over the last two years is staggering. In 2005 there were 151 major data breaches potentially compromising the personal information of 57.7 million individuals. In 2006 there were 327 data breaches totalling 48.8 million records. That's over 100 million records of various types of personal information floating around. As a result an entire black market industry has developed for these stolen records. This worldwide criminal identity theft marketplace is mature and is very structured. The players come from all over the world, but most of the Web sites where they meet are run from computer servers offshore or overseas, with many in the former Soviet Union, making them difficult to police. Credit cards, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal data are commonly traded and sold in huge numbers. There are buyers and sellers, intermediaries, service industries, and even tutorials.</p><p><strong> The Next Big Threat?</strong></p><p>And the assault is continuing. Gary Miliefsky, a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and chief technology officer of network security firm NetClarity, stated that Malware (an umbrella term used to a variety of hostile in intrusive program codes) attacks on personal computers are increasing at an unprecedented rate by organized criminals. "Malware writers are attacking your computer like they never have before," says Miliefsky. "Plain viruses are declining, and new attacks are taking advantage of a hole in an operating system or browser to plant Trojan viruses. As the business of online identity theft has continued to grow: malware is now an $8 billion industry, according to the FBI.</p><p><strong>Preventing Identity Theft</strong></p><p>Currently the average consumer has a 1 in 7 chance of becoming an identity theft victim. Identity theft thieves are attacking us on multiple fronts in their unrelenting quest for our personal information. Our trash cans are being rifled through, our mail is being taken, corporate computers are being hacked and now even our own personal computers are under attack. The task of insuring the safety of our personal information should not be taken lightly. A method of tracking and monitoring your credit is crucial to insure that no one can create a personal financial and credit disaster through identity theft.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Matt Collins is an author, the owner of several small businesses and an outspoken advocate regarding the growing dangers of identity theft. He runs an informational website where you can find useful information about identity theft products including the LifeLock system. To visit his website go to <a href="http://www.lifelock-review.org" target="_new">www.LifeLock-Review.org</a></p> <br />

Identity Theft - It's Not What You Think

By this time in 2007 it should be clear to just about everyone that identity theft is a real and growing problem throughout the world, b...

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Identity Theft Online - How Does it Happen?

<br /> <p>Identity theft is generally a bad thing that happens to good hard-working people. technology makes it easy for thieves to steal your identity. There are several methods used by these thieves to steal your identity. The most common methods include phishing, and credit card offers. If you are not wise to the use identity theft methods, then you may easily become a victim of identity theft. it is for this reason that learning about identity theft is extremely important.</p><p>Phishing happens when somebody either context you by phone or e-mail asking for you to verify important information. This may be information that is related to your PayPal, bank account, checking account and so forth. These thieves usually trick people into entering or e-mailing their passwords to them that's making identity theft a very easy thing. To avoid this kind of identity theft it is a good idea to know that no credit card company or bank will contact you to ask for your passwords or any other important information regarding your account. They will not contact you by phone and they will not contact you by e-mail asking for that kind of information.</p><p>A growing trend in the identity theft "industry" is online hacking. Many users do not use the proper technology to protect their computer from viruses or key logging programs. This allows the thief to easily gain access to your information on the computer when you opened up false e-mail or accidentally download something that you should not have downloaded. If you do your banking online or keep files with important information on your computer, with out a firewall protection were some sort of security program then you are opening yourself up for identity theft.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Check out these great ways for <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/ways-to-prevent-identity-theft" target="_new">preventing identity theft</a> online!</p> <br />

Identity Theft Online - How Does it Happen?

Identity theft is generally a bad thing that happens to good hard-working people. technology makes it easy for thieves to steal your iden...

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How to Prevent Computer Data Theft

<br /> <p>In today's technology driven world, computers are used everywhere - business, home, hospitals, banks and many other places. They are used for nearly every kind of activity from banking, buying, communicating to simply browsing. With such widespread use, computers can also tell a lot more about yourself than you would want to reveal. Many of us give out sensitive data like social security numbers or credit card details online or store personal data on our hard disks. If you have opted for business computer rentals, it is even more important that you protect sensitive personal and business data from unauthorized persons. Here are some ideas on how you can prevent data theft.</p><p>Digital safeguards</p><p>Protecting your data while you are working on the computer requires installing proper digital safeguards. These come in the form of firewalls, effective anti virus software and filters. Once these are in place, your personal information cannot be transmitted to outside parties by concealed programs. Unauthorized persons are restricted from entering your personal digital area or accessing your private files. Make sure your safeguards are updated and renewed periodically to stay effective against new hacking methods and viruses.</p><p>Restrict data copying</p><p>If all your business computers are equipped with data transfer software and hardware, it can get really difficult to track who is making copies of what business data. Remove CD burning drives and avoid installing data transfer software on machines which are used by a large number of people.</p><p>If you use business computer rentals, ask your rental provider to do this before he supplies the equipment. Keep these capabilities on a few systems in a separate cabin where the user can be tracked easily in case of a data leak. Alternatively, have a small pool of systems to carry out these functions and put them under the care of a single administrator who records users and actions carried out.</p><p>Safety devices for personal use machines</p><p>There are many devices which help keep your personal data safe on your own personal computer whether it is a laptop, notebook or desktop.</p><p>? USB Block- This simple metal plate covers your USB port and locks in place. Unless you have a key to remove the plate you cannot insert a USB storage device and copy data from the computer onto it.</p><p>? Biometric fingerprint reading- This is an advanced security feature which can effectively seal your personal computer from unauthorized users. You can opt for restricting access to specific files or even prevent your computer from booting up unless the right fingerprint is plugged in to the biometric reader.</p><p>? Privacy screens - These are simple but effective aids to preventing a curious passersby or an unscrupulous data thief from catching sight of sensitive data displayed on screen. These are clear sleeves which fit onto your laptop screen and let you see the display clearly from your position in front of the screen. For anyone who is trying to catch sight of the text onscreen from the side, only a dark screen is visible. These screens are very helpful when you are using the computer in public places like airports or trains.</p><p>Ensuring that your private data is protected can help prevent damage to your business or your personal finances. Implement these safeguards today on your computers or ask your business computer rentals providers to ensure it is done on the equipment supplied by him.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>For more information on <a href="http://www.vernoncomputersource.com/" target="_new">computer rental</a> and <a href="http://www.vernoncomputersource.com/projector-rental/" target="_new">projector rental</a> contact Vernon Computer Source.</p> <br />

How to Prevent Computer Data Theft

In today's technology driven world, computers are used everywhere - business, home, hospitals, banks and many other places. They are ...

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Are You an Ongoing Victim of Identity Theft?

<br /> <p>A person that becomes a victim of identity theft is a victim for life. This is because no matter how often the law reassures you that they are trying to fix the problem, they are lying. I was a victim of identity theft. The second time this occurred, I reported the problem to the police. Their reaction was to ask a few questions and give me a report number - no further action was taken. So I reported both this and the crime to the Federal Trade Commission (this was in 2000), but I am still waiting for a response - and the perpetrator is still committing the crimes!</p><p>When I informed the credit bureaus of my dilemma, they made no attempt to remove the charges. They simply put a comment on my records to the effect that it was "resolved". I am aware of other people who have faired far worse, some of whom have been summoned to court to answer for debts that they could not possibly have incurred. These people lived on the opposite side of the world to where the perpetrator was committing the offenses. How outrageous is it that the victims of crime have to suffer again and again because so few who could make a difference decide to act.</p><p>It is the case that with most instances of identity theft that is not involving a company, but rather an individual, they will receive little or no assistance at all. These individuals are denied credit because of the ramifications of the identity theft and are often placed in financial hardship. Some states place a "freeze" on credit reports. This should be the case in all states as it prevents anyone except the rightful owner of the credit to review the reports. The majority of states will place "fraud alerts" for up to three months on a credit report, but this achieves little - nothing is removed from the report. It can actually give the wrong impression.</p><p>It appears then, that it is our responsibility to protect ourselves from identity theft. Thieves are finding it increasingly easy, with the advancements in technology, to "steal" a person's identity. Government data bases are protected by sophisticated "firewalls", but still this is not enough to prevent thieves from hacking into accounts.</p><p>The newer credit cards available have microchips in them. These are supposed to prevent identity thieves from using them. This is not the case, as most identity thieves are already aware of the technology behind the chip and are able to bypass it.</p><p>The biggest and most "convenient" place for an identity thief to work is the world wide web. Even with firewalls and anti-hacker programs, anti-virus software and spy detectors, it is still not entirely safe to use the Internet. In 2004, an estimated eleven million people fell prey to identity theft, most of which were through the Internet.</p><p>It is the case that some cases of identity theft were perpetrated by friends, neighbors, family members or colleagues. One such case involved a couple, who moved from England to the States. When they arrived, they discovered that their identity had been "stolen" and they were left to answer a summons for debts they did not incur.</p><p>Some creditors and financial lenders will go so far as to accuse a victim of identity theft of fabricating the story to avoid paying debts or to avoid any <a href="http://www.debtjerk.com/improving-your-credit-score.html" rel="nofollow" target="_new">poor credit rating</a>, even when it has been proven that they were not responsible.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>You can't always get what you want but you can find what you need on the subject of <a href="http://www.debtjerk.com/improving-your-credit-score.html" target="_new">increase credit rating</a>. Today you too can gain from our years of experience, visit debtjerk.com.</p> <br />

Are You an Ongoing Victim of Identity Theft?

A person that becomes a victim of identity theft is a victim for life. This is because no matter how often the law reassures you that the...

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Stop the Devastating Pain of Identity Theft

<br /> <p>Do you know anyone who has experienced identify theft? If you answered "no", eventually you will meet someone who knows someone who has. It's a growing problem, and the trail of frustration it leaves in its wake is not a pleasurable one. If it ever happens to you or someone you love, and if you are not prepared for it. It is a living nightmare that will haunt you for many years to come. So how does one prepare for a life changing event like this?</p><p>First, you must understand what identify theft is and that it is a very lucrative business. Second, you must know how individuals acquire your information, and how they will use that information to ruin your life. Third, you must learn how to protect yourself and loved ones, and take action to help to prevent it from happening to you.</p><p>Identify theft occurs when some uses your own personal information to impersonate you. Many people do not realize that your information can be purchased off the Internet. Individuals use the Internet to conduct illegal businesses every day. It is very difficult to crack down on these people because the Internet is global. It would cost millions of dollars to investigate each and every company on the Internet to determine which businesses were not on the up and up. And for every site that is shut down, another site would spring up to take its place. Once your information has been obtained, it is sold and exchanged between criminals over the Internet, and there is no way of actually stopping it.</p><p><strong>HOW IDENTITY THEFT OCCURS</strong></p><p>Skilled identity thieves use various methods to gain access to your data. It does not matter how careful you are in protecting your information. It can be stolen! I know from firsthand experience, because it happened to me. For many years I shredded my documents and was careful when using the Internet. Eventually my information was stolen, not from my home, but from a bank where I acquired a loan.</p><p><strong>Here is a list of how identity thieves acquire your information:</strong></p><p>? From businesses or other institutions by: stealing records from their jobs, bribing employees to access your records, and hacking computer systems.</p><p>? Steal your mail looking for bank and credit card statements, credit card offers, and tax information.</p><p>? Rummage through your trash, businesses trash, and public trash dumps.</p><p>? They may steal your wallet or purse.</p><p>? They may complete a "change of address form" to divert your mail to another location.</p><p>? The list can go on because there are so many ways to obtain your information.</p><p><strong>HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS USED:</strong></p><p>? They use your information to change your credit card billing address.</p><p>? Open new credit cards causing you to have delinquent account.</p><p>? Open bank accounts in your name and write bad checks.</p><p>? File for bankruptcy under your name.</p><p>? Obtain a driver licenses with your name and their picture</p><p>? They may give your name to the police during an arrest. If that person does not show up for his or her court date, a warrant for arrest is issued in your name.</p><p>? They are many ways for these thieve to ruin your good name.</p><p><strong>HOW TO PROTECT YOUSELF</strong></p><p>To protect yourself, you need to invest in an identity theft <a href="http://www.5linx.net/evision/products.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_new">prevention</a> and protection service. ID Guard is not an insurance plan, even though plans offer money to reimburse you against actual losses from identity theft. The purpose of the service is to protect you from becoming a victim in the first place. The benefits of an identity theft service could prevent you from experiencing what others have gone through with not being able to acquire credit, getting harassed by collection agencies, and spending thousands of dollars trying to repair their good name.</p><p>Here are some service you can expect from identity prevention and protection services:</p><p>Identity Monitoring How will you know if your identity is stolen? 71% of identity fraud occurs within 7 days of identity theft, yet over 50% of identity theft victims do not learn of the theft within 3 months of occurrence. Identity prevention services utilize state of the art technology and databases of billion of data elements in order to detect the fraud as early as possible for you.</p><p><strong>Identity Insurance</strong></p><p>The Federal Trade Commission indicated that approximately 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year. Identity theft insurance provides reimbursement to help restore a victim identity. You can receive up to $25,000 reimbursement for many of the expenses you may face while working to clear your name.</p><p><strong>Computer Protection </strong></p><p>With thousands of new viruses created every day, relying on traditional security updates is no longer acceptable. That's why McAfee has added McAfee Active Protection technology to their Total Protection suite. Now you too can have this protection on your computer system.</p><p><strong>Identity Restoration</strong></p><p>Restoring your identity is estimated to take approximately 600 hours and cost thousands of dollars. You can have a trained expert to assist you with restoring your identity. Fraud alert notifications will be sent on your behalf and applicable follow up will be done with affected agencies. You are provided with a software system that will help you maintain control over the restoration processes should you become a victim of Identity Theft.</p><p><strong>You Can Not Live Without The Service</strong></p><p>If you have a car, you know the importance of insurance. If you have a social security number, and do not have identity theft protection, it is like driving around with no insurance. Try fixing your car with no insurance after an accident, it will be a head ache and very costly. Now multiple that pain by ten times, now you are beginning to understand what victims of identity theft go through each day of their life. It takes a couple of minutes to apply, and you will be amazed how inexpensive this investment is for your peace of mind and identity security.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Michael Chin<br> <a href="http://www.5linx.net/evision/products.asp" target="_new">http://www.5linx.net/evision/products.asp</a></p> <br />

Stop the Devastating Pain of Identity Theft

Do you know anyone who has experienced identify theft? If you answered "no", eventually you will meet someone who knows someone...

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Online Safety and Identity Theft

<br /> <p>In recent years, identity thieves have used technology to steal information. They have resorted to hacking company databases, sending emails with spy ware, embedding spy ware and viruses to websites and so on. So, how do you protect yourself from falling prey to identity thieves by using your computer? Read further.</p><p>Spyware is software designed to get into your computer, stay there and gather information like the websites you visit, your email address and the email addresses in your contacts and so on. How do you protect yourself from spyware? The first rule of spyware protection is by being careful what you download to your computer. Be very wary of free applications available online. Not all of them have spyware but you need to be careful when you download them. Never open emails from people you don't know or people with misspelled email addresses and full names. These emails may contain spyware and all you need is to click on them to inform the identity thief that your email is active and is ready for attack. Sometimes these emails will contain will contain attachment like sexy pictures of your favorite actress and so on. This attachment is most likely spyware and once downloaded will be active on your computer. Make sure you scan your computer for spyware at least once a week.</p><p>You may also want to look into using a different browser. The most popular browser on the internet is Internet Explorer because it comes preinstalled on most computers worldwide. It is then not a surprise that in identity theft, opportunists target this browser when designing their spyware and viruses. Try looking at Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Google Chrome as alternate browsers that you can use when visiting websites you do not frequent.</p><p>You can also protect your real email address by opening an alternate email account. You can use this account for correspondence with entities and organizations that you do not fully trust. You can also use this for online transactions like online shopping or for signing up for websites or forums. This will ensure that your real email address is left only for interaction with people and organizations that you fully trust.</p><p>The internet is a good communication tool. There is also a big number of information available online. But there are also people who are online to do damage to others for personal gain, so protect yourself from identity theft.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Tina L. Douglas is a well established author on the topic of identity theft.</p><p>For more advice and information on <a href="http://creditmonitoringtrial.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">credit monitoring trial</a> and <a href="http://creditprotectioncompanies.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">credit protection company</a>, just click on these links.</p> <br />

Online Safety and Identity Theft

In recent years, identity thieves have used technology to steal information. They have resorted to hacking company databases, sending ema...

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Identity Theft - How it Happens and What You Can Do to Prevent It

<br /> <p>Along with the benefits of better technology and faster ways of communicating, providing information and services online, comes the huge risk of identity theft. This trend of white collar crimes has been in full effect for several years and has progressively increased in numbers of cases as more and more people find new ways of obtaining and providing information.</p><p><strong>Why do bad things happen to good people?</strong></p><p>It really isn't that hard to steal someone's identity and most people are not always proactive about protecting personal information, making them perfect candidates for identity theft. Good people are often too trusting and naive, but you don't have to have these personality traits to become a victim, it can happen to anyone and it can lead to serious financial problems including personal bankruptcy.</p><p><strong>How does identity theft happen and how do you prevent it?</strong></p><p>I am listing here some of the most common ways a thief gets access to your information and you will most likely begin to think about the many times you may have contributed to increasing the likelihood of this happening to you.</p><p>1. <strong>Online Phishing Scams</strong>- one of the most common and still very effective methods. When you are contacted via email or phone by someone asking you to "verify" specific information related to your credit card, pay pal or bank account, they are phishing. No credit card company or bank will <strong>EVER</strong> contact you asking you for any information about your account over the phone or via email. They know there's a lot of risk in doing this. PayPal, (an eBay company) also does not practice this. Yet there are tons of spam emails in millions of inboxes asking for this information and very often the information is provided by people who are led to believe that these are legitimate requests.</p><p>One method closely related to phishing is getting that call that says you've won a prize, they're usually really excited and they try hard to get you excited about the bogus prize. Once they get you to that level, they'll ask for your bank account so they can deposit your winnings for you. You kindly provide the info and wait for the prize money to post, only to find out that you've just given the thief a prize. This one has not gotten old yet, it still works.</p><p>2. <strong>Online hackers</strong> - if you're online a lot you probably have learned a few ways to protect yourself from computer hacks. This is still a growing trend today. Many online users do not make use of the necessary technologies to protect their computer systems. Virus software and firewall software should be used on every PC you own to properly protect your identity while you're online. Hackers are very resourceful individuals and they know how to get into some of the most secure sites in the world so your Dell PC running Widows XP or Vista is no big challenge if they want to get in bad enough. If you're used to keeping files with credit card and bank account information on your system they can easily be found and taken.</p><p>3. <strong>Credit card offers</strong> - this is something that highly contributes to the chances of you becoming a victim. Credit card companies are in business for money and nothing else. Any protection they are likely to extend to you for a monthly fee is in fact useless as far as your total identity theft protection goes. If a credit card company receives an application with all your personal information, they will process the application after checking your credit and send you the approved card shortly after. Anyone with your information can make this request and with the convenience of the internet it's even easier.</p><p>To opt out of credit card offers you can do a search for "opt out of credit card offers" and you'll get a few reliable sources where you need to provide your information for this to happen. You can do this for a time limit or permanently. Always use caution when you provide this information online, make sure the "lock" icon shows up near the status bar of your browser, this means that the information you're about to provide will be encrypted and protected.</p><p>4. <strong>Old browsers</strong> - if you are still running windows ME, '98 or God forbid '95 for some reason, then you're probably using a very outdated version of Internet Explorer. If that's the case, you're not only at risk you're asking for it. Older browsers have serious vulnerabilities that have been corrected in the more recent versions, so if this is you, fix it immediately. Whether you use IE, Firefox or Opera, always update your browsers to the newer versions when they're released since the security features are often updated. Firefox and Opera in particular pay special emphasis to security and make it a little easier to protect your identity.</p><p>5. <strong>Your wallet and your purse</strong> - how much information do you carry with you? Are you one of those people with a burrito size wallet full of receipts, notes, credit cards, membership cards, contact and other sensitive information? What would happen if you lost your wallet of purse with all of this information in it? It would probably take you more than a few hours to notify every credit card company that you have lost your cards. But how do you know if you have covered yourself enough. Some people even carry their kids' social security numbers in their wallets as well. Children can easily become victims of identity theft as well, their financial lives could be ruined before they even start them.</p><p>6. <strong>Shred your old information</strong> - shredders are not expensive, invest in one at once. Never put your old bank account statements or credit card bills in the trash bin. One method of identity theft that is still effective today is known as dumpster diving, where a willing thief digs through trash to find usable information to get an easy payday. This information can be used to access your accounts and you may have just made somebody's day by making it available to them. Get in the habit of shredding everything.</p><p>7. <strong>Spam and pirated software</strong> - You should never open spam email, these are emails from sources you do not recognize, and often your web mail account will automatically filter. But for those that make their way into your inbox, you should always delete. Also never download, or accept pirated software no matter how cool the application is. The code on the software has been modified so that it can install without a product key, meaning that the hacker has also been able to add code that can record your activities. These are called keyboard logging programs, which run in the background and you never know about. Once your typing has been recorded the program will send the information to the hacker who can use that information to get access to account logins with your passwords into your credit card or bank account.</p><p>Even when you take all these precautions, identity theft can still happen. These are only some of the most common ways identities are stolen. Thieves are becoming more and more creative with their scams, and know that their methods only work for so long and so they're constantly coming up with new ways of getting to your information. It's because of these unknown methods that no one can be truly safe.</p><p>There are ways to protect your identity against identity theft, but most of these are merely monitoring services that are offered through sponsored programs run by the three credit bureaus. These programs have certain guarantees but basically what the service does for you is notify you of suspicious events on your credit. Meaning that they notify you when something has occurred, and this is your queue to take action and stop the illegal activity.</p><p>A more advanced method of protecting your identity is to have a complete service for identity theft protection that not only monitors your credit activity but stops new account from being opened under your name and SSN. These are more specialized services and they offer advanced features that you simply can not implement on your own.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Need more direction? Visit us at <a href="http://www.idlocknetwork.com" target="_new">IdLockNetwork.com</a> to download a Free Identity Theft Prevention Guide. If you need to start protecting your identity now, review our top <a href="http://www.idlocknetwork.com/identity-theft-protection/" target="_new">Identity Theft Protection Services</a> providers and begin automating the process to protect your identity today. Please take some time to study the content at IdLockNetwork.com and send us your feedback and questions. Remember that only you are responsible for your information, no one else can take proactive steps to secure it like you can.</p> <br />

Identity Theft - How it Happens and What You Can Do to Prevent It

Along with the benefits of better technology and faster ways of communicating, providing information and services online, comes the huge ...

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Top 10 Ways To Stop Identity Theft

<br /> <p>Few scams are as frightening as identity theft. When criminals gain access to your personal information, irreparable damage can be done to your finances. Your bank accounts can be emptied, your credit cards could be maxed out with purchases you didn't make. Bank and investment accounts can be opened, bad checks can be written, cars can be rented and not returned, and many other major crimes can be committed...all in your name!</p><p>In this age of advancing hacker technology, digital credit, and global communications networks it is vitally important to do everything that can be done to avoid becoming an identity theft statistic. Here are ten suggestions to help protect you from identity theft.</p><p>10. Install decent anti-virus and firewall software to be sure that unauthorized users cannot access your computer.</p><p>9. Do not leave emails with sensitive information like passwords or account numbers in your inbox at free email websites. Download them to your hard-drive and encrypt them. Use encryption software on all sensitive data on your PC. PGP is free and offers excellent privacy protection. It is nigh un-crackable.</p><p>8. Use a secure web browser to surf the internet. Internet Explorer is notorious for security holes. It seems hackers love to hack Microsoft! Firefox with Google Toolbar is a good alternative choice as it's free and is generally considered to be faster and more secure than Internet Explorer.</p><p>7. Do not leave receipts behind when you use your credit card.</p><p>6. Destroy all private documents that you no longer need. Never throw financial statements in the trash! Use a data shredder to delete files and a paper shredder to destroy the old fashioned kind.</p><p>5. Sign your credit cards in permanent ink as soon as you receive them and always know where your credit cards are. Keep a list of your credit card numbers and information somewhere safe so it can be given to your credit provider in the event of a lost or stolen card. If your card is lost or stolen report it immediately.</p><p>4. Get a copy of your credit report and get frequent updates. Monitor it for suspicious activity.</p><p>3. Pay attention to your monthly credit card statements and be watchful for any purchases you did not make.</p><p>2. If you do your banking online be sure you log out of the bank's website fully when you finish your banking session and then clear your computer's cache to erase any temporary files which may contain personally identifiable information. Firefox with Google Toolbar makes this easy to do by simply pressing Ctr+Shft+Del or going to: Tools>Clear Private Data</p><p>1. There are hundreds of scam emails [http://email-scams.info/protect-yourself-from-the-irs-email-scam-and-other-email-fraudsters/] in circulation that claim to be from a bank, or the IRS and state that your personal information needs to be confirmed. Don't fall for this fraud. Never give your SSN (SIN in Canada) to anyone other than the government, financial institution or your employer. Know who you are communicating with before giving out personal information. Organizations that deal with your money will never send you such a request by email or phone.</p><p>Its a shame to have to worry about online identity theft but if you are "on your toes" and follow these guidelines, you are well on your way to making your online experience a much safer and secure one.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Steve Greene publishes scam alerts and exposes email scammers and internet frauds on his blog <a href="http://email-scams.info" target="_new">Email Scams Info</a></p> <br />

Top 10 Ways To Stop Identity Theft

Few scams are as frightening as identity theft. When criminals gain access to your personal information, irreparable damage can be done t...

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The Real Deal About Identity Theft

<br /> <p>This part would still discuss the many facts about identity theft and a couple of guides will also be provided to help prevent individual consumers from becoming victims of the fastest growing identity theft crime in the United States.</p><p><b>1. The internet perpetuated identity theft.</b></p><p>Technology played a lot of part in the perpetuation of identity theft. The internet made a lot of things possible for every individual. It has afforded flexibility, accessibility and mobility to most of its consumers which made internet a common household name. Online shopping, online banking, e-commerce-everything is now internet or electronically available.</p><p>Since more and more transactions are being done online, it cannot be helped when you have to give out your personal information. For instance, in making online purchases, you need to give out your credit card number to secure the purchase. After doing so, you need to give out your name and address for the delivery of your merchandise. This information, when they fell in malicious hands, can be used by other people for their own financial and material rewards.</p><p><b>2. Despite the many security programs that are developed, identity theft is still growing.</b></p><p>Installing good and reliable anti-virus programs cannot prevent identity theft but it can seriously make you less attractive to identity thieves because it can protect your computer system from intruder attacks. Then again, that does not guarantee that you will never be a victim of identity theft. For one reason, identity thieves do not only access your computer for your personal information. They can also get this from your mailbox, trash bins and even from your school or university.</p><p><b>3. Identity thieves are also computer hackers.</b></p><p>With the advent of technology and the internet, most identity thieves have now channeled their energy into accessing personal information that are exchanged online since these are done randomly and millions of transactions transpire everyday. The identity thieves train themselves to be computer hackers or they seek the help of computer hackers, either way, there is no doubt that identity thieves have now taken a different face. This is a new one as it can only be used online.</p><p><b>4. Connecting to a public Wi-Fi hot spot zone can make you prone to identity theft.</b></p><p>If you think, as an internet user, that hot spots are great ideas as they offer free unlimited internet access to individuals like you, then do not discount the fact that computer hackers are also ecstatic about the idea. Not because they can go online for free but because they can easily hack the wireless network and see what everyone is doing in their computer. Most wi-fi hot spots are have no passwords or any form of security for their networks, which makes it more prone to computer hacking.</p><p>If you are fond of connecting to wi-fi hot spots, think again. Or if ever you do, do not perform any confidential transactions online. Only do so when you are using a secure network like in your home or in your office.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Tina L. Douglas is a skilled writer from California. With numerous experiences in the field of writing for several financial institutions, she is greatly qualified across a variety of economic issues. Her notable pieces of writing involve <a href="http://5identitytheftprotection.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_new">identity theft</a>.</p> <br />

The Real Deal About Identity Theft

This part would still discuss the many facts about identity theft and a couple of guides will also be provided to help prevent individual...

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Identity Theft Expert - Americans Overwhelmingly Concerned About Credit Card Fraud

<br /> <p>A recent study conducted by the Unisys Corporation shows that identity theft as it pertains to credit card fraud is Americans' number one concern.</p><p>When people ask me, "How do I protect myself from credit card fraud?" I tell them, "Cancel the card, or never use it." Because that's the only way.</p><p>Personal security (as it pertains to violence) and national security have always been a concern. However, this new study shows that people are more concerned with fraud, and the risk of having their savings depleted by scammers. Not so hard to believe, what with the number of data breaches, and the Madoffs of the world fleecing their unsuspecting investors.</p><p>75% of Americans feel that the recession has increased their chances of being victimized by criminal hackers and thieves. Most are also concerned their "private" information on a corporate or bank network may be compromised.</p><p>FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center's 2008 Annual Report determined that online fraud increased by 33.1% last year. Dollar losses resulting from online fraud increased to $265 million.</p><p>Overall, these concerns are valid, due to flaws in the system of issuing credit that facilitate new account fraud. Furthermore, account takeover requires nothing more than access to credit card numbers, which are available in hacked databases or susceptible every time you hand your card over to a gas station attendant.</p><p>Viruses in spam or phishing emails continue to plague consumers and as scammers get more sophisticated, the chances of getting hooked increase.</p><p>Banks and business will continue to feel the pressure as criminals target their clients' data.</p><p>Credit card skimming at ATMs and gas pumps makes it impossible to protect yourself when you could essentially be handing your digits over to a criminal.</p><p>Skimming is one of the financial industry's fastest-growing crimes, according to the U.S. Secret Service. The worldwide ATM Industry Association reports over $1 billion in annual global losses from credit card fraud and electronic crime associated with ATMs.</p><p>Marite Ferrero, a blogger with Finextra, adds, "In Europe, the points of compromise are everywhere: ATM, gas pumps, parking, DVD rentals, movie tickets, food kiosks, tolls, buying metro tickets, and the list goes on... Because of chip and pin implementation, the proliferation of stand-alone terminals that accept chip and pin has provided a profitable playground for fraudsters."</p><p>While the card holder is generally only responsible for the first $50.00 in losses, which is often waived by a "zero liability policy," card holders who don't pay attention to their statements often let these charges pass and eat them.</p><p>There are many technologies available to secure credit cards, such as "smart cards" and "chip and pin." However, due to the nature of a credit card transaction, once the data leaves the card, it's up for grabs. Whatever card security their may have been is now gone.</p><p>Check your credit and banking statements carefully. Scrutinize every charge and refute any unauthorized charges within 30-60 days. Call your bank or credit card company immediately if you see any fraudulent activity.</p><p>Invest in identity theft protection. Credit freezes or fraud alerts help prevent new account fraud. Protect your PC with McAfee, or other Internet security software.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>I'm excited to work with uni-ball in 2009 in a partnership to help raise awareness about the growing threat of identity theft and provide tips for protecting yourself. Check out <a href="http://www.uniball-na.com" target="_new">http://www.uniball-na.com</a> for more information. Robert Siciliano <a href="http://www.IDTheftSecurity.com" target="_new">http://www.IDTheftSecurity.com</a></p> <br />

Identity Theft Expert - Americans Overwhelmingly Concerned About Credit Card Fraud

A recent study conducted by the Unisys Corporation shows that identity theft as it pertains to credit card fraud is Americans' number...

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Identity Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

<br /> <p>The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country's top problems. The bad guys are finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.</p><p>The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity theft.</p><p>Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The Flu!</p><p>First, let's understand just how bad identity theft has become in this country:</p><p>· The Federal Trade Commission says that there is an underground market for credit card numbers, social security numbers and ID documents - organized gangs or web mobs use and sell these documents for as little as $10 each. Some of these groups contain thousands of members. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity exceeded 52-billion dollars in 2004.</p><p>· US Department of Justice states identity theft is affecting millions of households in the U.S. each year. The cost is estimated to be six-point-four billion per year. According to the FTC, an estimated 10 million adults become victims of identity theft each year.</p><p>· The Department of Justice goes on to say that the most common misuse of identity was through credit cards, accounting for 50 percent of all identity theft. Next in line were banking and other types of accounts at 25 percent, personal information was 15 percent, and a combination of several types of identity theft was at 12 percent. The average loss for each identity theft was $1,290.00. Two-thirds of those surveyed said the theft cost them money despite credit card coverage.</p><p>· A recent State of the Net survey by Consumer Reports which covered more than 2000 households with Internet Access projects that American consumers lost more than eight-billion dollars over the last two years to viruses, spyware and various scams. The report also shows consumers face a one-in-three chance of becoming a "cyber victim" about the same as last year. It goes on to say that consumers lost $630 million over the past two years to e-mail scams.</p><p>· The average person today suffers through two or more "incidents" with their computer each year - the computer slows to a crawl, crashes altogether, viruses or spyware take over systems and more. It's getting worse as computers become more complex and as we do more with them.</p><p>So, Who Is At Risk For Identity Theft?</p><p>According to the Department of Justice there are three groups that are most at risk for identity theft: young adults 18 to 24, adults who earn $75,000 per year or more and households in urban and suburban area. Interesting to note that about five percent of adults who earn $75,000 or more a year are hit with identity theft.</p><p>The continued growth of online fraud and identity theft are putting an enormous strain on the existing infrastructure for the Internet as well as our social structure. For example, the banking community has been complacent about security upgrades required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. They report that every bank in the country has not complied with their guidelines set for now. In an article titled, "U.S. Banks Complacent Toward Identity Theft Solution," by PR Web, the single largest national security threat is a terrorist attack on our banking system. An attack aimed simultaneously at millions of user names and passwords within banks would shut down our banking system. This would instantly shut down banks worldwide. Credit/debit cards, checks, calls to the bank, would not work for at least a matter of days causing tremendous hardship and a ripple effect from no gas to "I simply have to take this baby food."</p><p>Consider for a moment some of the potential social effects from this identity theft problem. What if citizens developed a lack of confidence in our credit card and monetary system causing economic upheaval similar to what we saw in the "Great Depression?" I know this sounds radical, but what if you couldn't trust your identity to anyone anymore? What if you feared that your money, your identity was going to be stolen? It's not unthinkable that you would store your money under your mattress at home or in a safe in the closet rather than possibly losing it to identity theft. If millions of people lost faith in our monetary system and the ability to keep their identity safe and then took all of their money home where they believe it would be safe, what would happen then?</p><p>We generally can't control what happens outside of our personal environment, what happens at a bank, corporation or the government seems so far out of reach. There are, however, steps that we can take that will give us a better chance of protecting our personal information. The first step is identifying the threats and then taking steps to protect ourselves.</p><p>Below, I have identified nine identity theft threats and nine steps to protect our identity in today's society.</p><p>Nine Threats To Your Identity</p><p>Here are nine of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your identity. Some of these are personally preventable and others are out of our control:</p><p>1. Stolen Company Data. Your personal information is stored on computers at stores where you shop, at your insurance company, your accountant, and more. It almost seems like a common occurrence where a company is hacked into and their customer's information is stolen. This happens so often now that the crimes are rarely reported and don't make the front page anymore.</p><p>2. Social Engineering. Identity Thieves are very clever. They will invent any way possible to fool you into giving your identity out. It's called social engineering because the thief uses common social situations to get the information they want. Like a seemingly innocent phone call supposedly from your credit card company asking for your personal information.</p><p>3. Dumpster Diving. Identity thieves get a lot of their victims' information out of garbage cans and recycle bins from old credit card statements and other personal documents thrown out carelessly.</p><p>4. Mail Theft. Your mail can contain valuable information: bills, banking information, credit cards, investments and more. Personal mail can often be stolen right from a mailbox.</p><p>5. Financial Account Hijacking. Once a thief has your personal information they can take over your personal accounts. You might not know about their activity for months.</p><p>6. Credit Card Magnetic Strip Theft. These clever crooks have tools to steal information off the magnetic strips on your credit card.</p><p>7. Discarded Computers. Your old computer really can tell stories. Even though you erased your hard drive crooks have tools to reclaim your personal information and use it against you.</p><p>8. Spyware and Viruses on Computers. You may not be familiar with the term 'malware.' It's a term that covers all of the hacker tools that can cause harm on your computer. These tools include spyware, keylogger tools, Trojan horses and more.</p><p>9. E-mail and Internet Scams. Cyber thieves are getting more and more creative using scams like Phishing, Pharming and fancy come-ons to entice you to give them your personal information.</p><p>There Are Four Ways You Can Approach Protecting Your Identity...</p><p>One way is to do nothing and hope that identity thieves don't harm you.</p><p>Second, you can be reactive. Reactive simply means that you are responding to all the material that comes your way. You are checking your credit card and bank statements to make sure nothing peculiar is on them. And if you do find something strange you contact your bank or credit card company immediately. Reactive also means that you are checking your credit report when you apply for credit or a loan.</p><p>Third, you can be proactive. A proactive approach is a more aggressive way of protecting yourself against the bad guys. You are constantly looking ahead and evaluating before giving out valuable information.</p><p>And fourth, combine reactive and proactive approaches. This is the best way to ensure you identity protection.</p><p>Nine Critical Steps To Proactively Protecting Your Identity...</p><p>Here are your 'Nine Proactive Steps To Identity Protection:"</p><p>1. Begin to operate on an "I have to know everything" approach when you give out your personal information. Only give out your personal information to people you know and trust.</p><p>2. Protect your Social Security Number, credit card and other financial information. Do not give this information out over the phone unless you initiated the call or as we stated above are talking to a trusted individual from a trusted company.</p><p>3. Cancel all of your unused accounts including banking, credit card, licenses and permits.</p><p>4. At least once a year, if not more often, update and check your credit report and Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement to make sure everything appears as it should.</p><p>5. Protect your mail. Make sure you have a secure locked mailbox to receive all of your mail. Always mail your payments and checks from a secure Post Office Box or from the Post Office. And, if you have a Post Office Box at the Post Office never discard your mail in a garbage can. Always bring your entire mail home.</p><p>6. Always crosscut shred all bank statements, credit card applications or information and important documents before discarding to recycle or the garbage. It is best to stir up the shredded documents to make it even harder for identity thieves to steal your information.</p><p>7. Purchase identity theft insurance. This will cover any losses incurred while recovering your lost identity once a crook has stolen it.</p><p>8. Invest in professional grade protection for your computer. The best protection available today comes from Managed Internet Security Service providers. The best security services include best-of-breed corporate grade security software for your computer, as well as unlimited service and support from trained security pros. Make sure it is the same kind of service that is used by major corporations around the world. Frankly, the over-the-counter and free security software programs available don't keep up with today's professional cyber thief. If those popular programs worked, why do we see the cyber-crime problem growing at a progressively faster pace?</p><p>A managed professional Internet security program should have the following technologies installed: A bi-directional or dual Firewall that prevents information from coming in or going out of your computer without your permission, anti-virus protection that is updated daily, and malware protection that is updated daily. Malware consists of spyware, adware, Trojan horses, keyloggers and more. It constantly changes so you will need a technology that keeps up with the professional hackers who want your identity. Your best bet is to find a professional security service that affordably manages all this for you.</p><p>9. Beware of e-mail scams like Phishing and Pharming. Phishing is an e-mail that looks like it came from a bank or business claiming you need to take care of a problem or your account will be closed down. It takes you to a page to fill out your personal information. Meanwhile, Pharming is redirecting your computer from a legitimate to a fake web site. For example, you may think that you are going to your banking site, but instead are redirected to a site that looks like your banks web site, but is hosted by an identity thief.</p><p>Identity theft continues to grow at a torrid pace. Millions of people in the United States will lose their identity to thieves in the coming year. Many of them will suffer for years trying to clean up the mess that was left behind.</p><p>The bad news is we can't control all of the identity threats we face each day. The good news is there are reactive and proactive steps we can take to protect ourselves against personal tragedy.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Warren is engaged in the cause of educating and protecting people who use the Internet about the threats they face and the inadequacy of the solutions they trust, and over a two-year period has become an expert on PC Security and a passionate advocate of Internet safety. Find out more his campaign for personal and Internet security go to his web site at <a href="http://www.completeinternetprotection.com" target="_new">http://www.completeinternetprotection.com</a>.</p> <br />

Identity Theft - Nine Threats & Nine Steps To Protection

The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country's top problems. The bad guys are fin...

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Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

<br /> <p>Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug trade. Identity theft intrusions can come from a variety of sources and places where you hang out on the internet. Even some of our favorite sites like Face Book and My Space are not scam proof and you can very easily lose your personal information on the internet in a variety of ways.</p><p>The dangers of identity theft are accentuated with rapid growth of wireless communications such as the Wi-Fi. What once appeared to be a harmless and time efficient activity, browsing the net or checking your email in your favorite book store, library, coffee shop or in hotels while on travel has turned out to be extremely dangerous because you can very easily lose your personal information. There are countless identity thieves with wireless snifters around these places trying to get your credit card number, social security number, any identifying information and even the IP address of your computer.</p><p>However, due to extensive coverage in the media most people are now getting serious about preventing Identity Theft. Most, computers come with one of the many Internet Security Software available in the market place today. What started as software to protect computers from viruses has grown into very elaborate and complex suite of security features. These days top Internet security software come with features that stop viruses, spy ware and computer hacking attempts; set parental controls and even alert you of phishing attempts. They come with parental controls, advanced firewall options and even network monitoring for wireless networks. Some of them even have tools to clean up accumulated unwanted files and clutter and cookies from the internet, erase traces of personal information and surfing history. Some of the latest features introduced in top internet security software now include some form of Identity Theft Protection measures such as password protection and authentication of trusted sites.</p><p>Are these measures enough and fool proof? Certainly not. It is a long way from a total secure environment. There are two things that come in the way. Browser security and router security. It is important to keep your computer updated with latest updates and security patches of its operating system (mostly Windows) and browser (Internet explorer and others). Both of these concerns are being addressed better than in the past but still pose a great deal of vulnerability. Hackers have the ability to find vulnerabilities and can beat firewalls. So it is far from a secure system.</p><p>The second point of vulnerability is the router security in a networked computer. But it is also one of the most overlooked and perhaps the best methods of protecting your computer from intrusion and your self against identity theft on the internet.</p><p>It is the router which assigns an IP address to the computer linked to the net. IP address is a unique identifying numerical tag for each computer device linked to a network or the internet. It is this address that gets logged on and identified whenever you are connected to the internet. Your browsing history at your ISP (Internet Service Provider) can trace all your internet activity. You can use the router to change your IP and you can make the connection secure by built in encryption capabilities of the router.</p><p>However, topping all these security measures is the introduction of IP Changer software that rapidly change IP by using a number of proxy servers at many different locations. By routing your internet connection through these anonymous proxies, the sites you visit will get one of many IP addresses other than your own, thus hiding your real IP address from potential hackers and identity thieves. These software and anonymous proxies have become very efficient and send your data in encrypted form without noticeable drop in internet connection performance. Thus Rapid IP change with the help of the new IP changer software allow you anonymous surfing that in combination with data encryption and most advanced Internet Security Software suites provide the most comprehensive shield against Identity Theft as of now.</p><p>It is remarkable how a simple idea to Change IP and well established encryption technology can bring us a safer and more secure internet connectivity and protect us against Identity Theft more comprehensively than the best Internet Security software alone.</p> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <p>Having this empowering information on how to protect your self from devastating effects of Identity Theft on the internet please go to <a href="http://www.change-ip-proxy.com" target="_new">http://www.change-ip-proxy.com</a> for more elaborate information how to rapidly <a href="http://www.change-ip-proxy.com/" target="_new">Change IP</a> to surf anonymously and protect your identity. You can also try this IP changer software for free.</p> <br />

Can Internet Security Software Alone Prevent Identity Theft? - Change IP For Full Protection

Identity theft is a very vicious and life altering crime. It is the fastest growing and biggest crime in America surpassing even drug tra...

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