how to prevent hacker and ensure your cybersecurity

Let's face it, we all get lulled into a false sense of security when we don't hear about major cyber security breaches in the news. As long as we update our anti-virus and don't open unknown emails and don't click on links from sources we don't recognize we're safe, right? Really nothing could be further from the truth. Hackers are always upping their game finding ways around and through holes in the system. These days they have even gotten quite good at creating links and sometimes emails that look convincingly real leading to websites that appear to be authentic.

Read and share our guide review on top-best antivirus software for your complete online protection on https://onlinevirusprotection.blogspot.com.ng/2016/03/top-three-best-computer-antivirus.html 

Some of the things we don't realize or think about is the fact cyber crime still costs better than $100 billion annually on average whether we see it in front page news or not. This isn't just large businesses and banks that are being breached, but everyday users and individuals are probably at even a higher risk. Anytime you have a connection to the internet through any device your data can be compromised.

Virtually all devices are vulnerable to costly attacks, but there are a few that are more susceptible than others. Devices that use Flash, Adobe Reader or Java can be more at risk than others due to software vulnerabilities. If your devices use any of these you want to make sure you stay up to date on the most recent releases and upgrades which may address some of these. We assume our antivirus will automatically keep us safe and have very little interaction with it. This isn't always the case. It is always a good idea to run a manual check-up and make sure your antivirus is updating itself weekly.
The social media we all know and love can also create big opportunities for hackers. One of the most common tricks hackers will use is to create a dummy account of somebody with a large social network. This way the malicious links they send to social media appear to becoming from a trusted source. Be sure to check friend requests and links from friends before clicking on anything.

Any device that you own that connects to web pages or the internet makes you a potential target. Hackers may seem to be laying low and lurking in the background, but they are always hard at work finding ways to get your information. Make sure that you keep your antivirus software up to date and take proactive measures to keep your information safe. If you are yet to experience it, waiting until after the fact can be a nightmare and at times take years to recover from.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Philip_A_Soluri/2248394

Read and share our guide review on top-best antivirus software for your complete online protection on https://onlinevirusprotection.blogspot.com.ng/2016/03/top-three-best-computer-antivirus.html 

 

Web Security,Cyber Crimes,Hackers,Malware,Spyware,Antivirus

how you can prevent identity theft and be safe online

Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft
By Jon Arnold

Read How to Prevent Identity Theft by Discovering the hackers behind Phishing e-mails and phone calls.

If you haven't done so recently, you should invest a minor bit of time and effort into getting yourself a copy of your credit report.  It is free once a year in most states, and you need to get a separate copy of it from each of the "big three" credit reporting bureaus, which are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian.  Some creditors report to only one of them, some report to a couple of them, and some even report to all three of them.  The key point is that the data maintained by each one is not necessarily the same, and in fact, is probably vastly different.

Why is the data different?  With the hundreds of millions of credit reports that these companies need to maintain, errors are almost inevitable.  Interestingly enough, studies have shown that the MAJORITY of consumers have at least one or more inaccurate or erroneous piece of information in their credit report.  The scary part is that, contrary to popular belief, the errors will NOT be corrected automatically.  In fact, if you don't alert the credit bureau of the errors, then the errors will be carried forward with your record, year after year.

Please be aware that while identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century so far, it is not limited to just online activities.  Granted, with the advent of the ease of shopping online and being able to purchase something at a great price with just a couple of mouse clicks is attractive for many, there are steps you should take to ensure that you have done everything responsible that you can do to avoid your information from getting into the wrong hands.  One of the first places to start is to get yourself a copy of your credit report, and look especially for accounts that you are not aware of, which is the first sign that you may be a victim of identity theft.

Online identity theft is a serious crime that can clean out your life savings and leave you with a damaged credit history that may take years to repair. Unless you're familiar with the person with whom you're dealing, or are filling out an official form for a legitimate personal or business purpose, information such as a social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers and other types of data that might have a bearing on your individuality should never be divulged. If you've ever used a credit card to order take-out food over the phone, you're leaving yourself wide open to identity theft.

Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago in an attempt to smooth out some problems in the credit reporting industry. The presence of this alert requires any creditor to verify the identity of the borrower prior to granting credit in his or her name. If your credit report shows that you have a low score, lower than what you deserve, that can negatively impact a huge number of areas of your life.  You may want to visit [http://www.credit-help-center.com]Raise Your Credit Score for tips on how to improve your credit score.

When you travel, regardless of how you book your reservations, your personal information will still end up on the company's computer and stored in their databases. Many companies, including some large major corporations, do not protect your personal data the way they should.

Many people ignore the importance of protecting their personal and financial information against identity theft until they become a victim of it. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity was more than $50 billion dollars last year.

If you purchase merchandise online frequently, you may want to use a separate credit card that you obtain just for that purpose.  Always use ONLY that credit card.  For the junk mail that you receive regularly saying you are approved for a new credit card or mortgage loan, don't just simply throw it in the trash.  Instead, invest in a shredder and take the time to shred those letters.  Many cases of identity theft occur because the thief has gone "dumpster diving" to find those pre-approval letters, and opens an account in your name.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more at his web site at Preventing Identity Theft and Protecting Against Identity Theft [http://www.identity-theft-info.com].

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Find-Out-How-To-Prevent-Identity-Theft&id=424373] Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft

identity theft, prevent identity theft, credit report, credit score, identity theft protection