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

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Preventing Identity Theft As A Business Owner

By Jacob Burns

However, in a new twist of events, consumers are no longer the only people affected by identity thieves, as businesses have now become prone to the development in the criminal enterprise of business identity theft with quite a number of businesses losing a lot of revenue in the process. What usually happen is that, a criminal will hijack the identity of a particular business and use it to establish a string of credit with banks and other lenders.

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This in turn leads to a damage that can be very devastating to the victim's business. A business could risk having a spoilt credit history therefore raising the chances of being denied credit, a move that will definitely paralyze your operations. Anyone looking to protect their businesses from identity thieves should ensure they have good privacy protection system.

After a number of businesses reported huge losses due to this, many business owners have turned to seeking help on how to keep their businesses safe from the business identity thieves. Some effective guides have been put in place to ensure consumers and the businesses are thoroughly combating the menace to avoid and reduce the threats businesses face from identity theft. Below are ways which businesses use to prevent identity theft.

Protecting Business Records and Data.

As much as business identity theft is a high-tech crime that affects those shopping, communicating and doing business online, most business identity thefts takes place offline. Some of the common tactics used by these frauds includes stealing wallets and ladies' purses, interrupting or rerouting mail and going through garbage so as to obtain sensitive information.

To counter this and ensure privacy protection, most businesses today maintain records that are important to run their operations and totally shredding all the unnecessary documents or records. However, while doing this it is advisable to put any document that you must keep in a very secure location. This guarantees businesses their privacy protection and ensures smooth running free from identity thieves.

Protecting Their Businesses Online.

Technology has eased life with the introduction of a couple of online services that makes our lives much easier and better. Many people do a lot of their transactions online today. However, caution is advised for businesses which strive to secure their identities. Most of them have resorted to not sharing their financial documents, sensitive personal information or account numbers via platforms like e-mails or any other web-based services.

This has proved to be helpful for many business owners as their financial privacy protection is sorted, therefore running smoothly without having to worry about business identity thieves.

Monitoring Activity.

Actually, this goes without saying, anything that you do not keep your eye on, will definitely face some external disturbance. Therefore, the best method to detect possible identity theft is to be aware and monitor activities around your business. Most businesses do this by monitoring their credit reports more often. Some businesses have gone a step further and registered, rather signed up for    [https://identitysecurely.com]credit monitoring service. Among ways to ensure your privacy protection, this is among the most effective.

Protecting Customers.

When thinking about protecting yourself from identity theft, a business should also consider doing the same for the personal and sensitive information of its clients. By protecting their customers, businesses today have experienced less identity theft because, by protecting their customer's privacy, it keeps them safe as there are no loopholes. Customers can at times be the targets of the identity theft putting both them and the business at risk.

Watching out For Phishing Scams.

Many people have fallen prey to scams and lost quite a lot of money to fraudsters who trick people into divulging their confidential personal and business account information e.g. account number, passwords and user names. Businesses have therefore become alert on such and are avoiding any persuasions to click or open up any attachment in emails as doing so could connect them to fraudulent websites or causing a spyware to be installed in their computer therefore putting their privacy protection at risk.

Subscription to Email Alerts.

There are many genuine online platforms that offer free email alert services that can notify one when business registration information has been changed or updated. Many businesses have embraced the idea and have enrolled for such services because it provides them with early warnings of potential fraud. Using email alert has improved business operations since business owners are notified of any fishy transactions on the go and can therefore quickly act on them, saving their business great deal of money and reputation.

Filling Annual Reports and Renewals on Time.

On top of the administrative risk of dissolution of a business for failure to file, business identity thieves are on the lookout for businesses that are classified as suspended, inactive or in default. These crooks believe that if a business fails to keep up with normal annual business filling, then they will not realize when information has been changed until it is too late. Businesses are countering this by ensuring they file their returns well in advance to ensure their privacy protection.

Many businesses have counted major losses following attacks by business identity thieves who give them sleepless nights. In a bit to recover from the losses, most of them hike prices so as to cover for the cost of ensuring smooth operations, in terms of both the business and consumer's privacy protection. This has led to incessant cases of hiking that has instead turned consumers into victims of high product prices. The cost of business identity theft costs businesses across the world an estimated $221 billion in a year therefore becoming the newest threat to both small and big businesses around the globe. However, following the few ways we have listed above, business owners are able to dramatically reduce the chances of experiencing business identity theft.

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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Preventing-Identity-Theft-As-A-Business-Owner&id=9288254] Preventing Identity Theft As A Business Owner

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Prevent Identity Theft - Tips To Avoid Becoming A Victim
By Abhishek Agarwal

Being a victim of identity theft is a traumatic, heart-breaking experience. No one wants to go through it. Here is some advice that may help you protect your personal financial information and your credit rating.

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In a 2004 study, the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives reported that, in 2003 alone, almost 10 million Americans had become victims of identity theft. The crime cost consumers about $5 billion out-of-pocket and costs American business around $50 billion. As increasing news reports indicate, identity theft is the crime of the era. It's increasing rapidly. Unfortunately, it's also a difficult crime to catch and prosecute.

In 2003, victims of identity theft spent anywhere from $500 to $1200 and from 30 to 60 hours of their personal time trying to resolve the financial problems created by identity theft. Further, the crime itself occurred over a three- to six-month period in each known case.

We all hope we never become victims of identity theft. For one thing, you usually don't learn you're a victim until some debt collector calls you about a bill or a loan application is denied because of your poor credit history or low credit score. This news comes as a shocking surprise to most victims of identity theft, and the personal agony of financial loss and effort needed to resolve the problem take a huge toll. Identity theft victims often report they feel as violated as they would if they had been mugged or their house had been burglarized.

Today, prevention and early detection are best solutions to the identity theft problem. These criminals have a variety of ways to get your personal financial information. They may steal it from your garbage in the form of old bills or pre-approved credit offers. They may trick you on the phone or by e-mail into giving out your personal information. Someone you know and trust may have access to your personal information. Or perhaps someone with good eyesight is standing behind you, watching you enter your PIN at the ATM machine or grocery counter. These things are within your control, but there are other tactics outside your control. Identity thieves also trick the information out of banks and businesses, claiming they are research for a non-existent company or using false identities to secure the information. Hackers may sneak into the databases of large companies and download the information they keep for their clientele.

Once they have your personal information, they can submit false address change reports to your bank or creditors. They can apply for mortgages or loans or make purchases against your credit cards. You won't know about it until the *#(& hits the fan, and your credit history is ruined.

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1. How Can I Tell if Someone is using my Personal Financial Information Illegally?

So how do you know that an identity thief may be targeting your personal information?  What are the signs to look for? And what do you do if you think you are a victim of identity theft? Here are a few of the things you can watch for to protect your personal financial information and your identity:

1. Order a credit report, at the very least, once a year. If a close review of your credit report reveals accounts you've never heard of or loans you did not make, you may be a victim. The report could also contain inquiries about your credit from merchants and vendors you didn't apply to. These are all important red flags, and you should follow-up on the information immediately.

2. You receive a bill or statement from a company you didn't open an account with.

3. You notice unauthorized or incorrect changes on your credit card or bank statement.

4. You get calls from business owners or debt collectors who claim you have a bill that is overdue for a product or service you never ordered or received.

5. You are denied approval of a loan or credit card application, even when you know your credit is good.


If you've noticed any of these warning signs, follow up immediately by contacting the credit card company, bank, or credit report agency with questions. Don't accept inadequate answers to your questions. And continue to follow-up until all your questions have been answered and your credit account or report is accurate and up-to-date.

If you find you can't resolve issues easily, you may be an identity theft victim already. Report this problem to law enforcement authorities immediately. Contact your bank, your creditors, and the credit report agencies to let them know the problem is occurring and ask them to freeze your accounts. Add special passwords that anyone inquiring about our using your accounts must know to get a transaction approved. Do what you can to find out what the identity thief has done. For example, where have they opened accounts or where have the applied for loans. Can you find another address associated with your name that is not familiar to you? If you identify the identity thief, do not contact them directly. Rather provide that information to law enforcement.


2. What Can I do to Prevent Identity Theft Before it Happens?

To avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, follow these guidelines:

1. Keep a very close eye on your credit card activities. Check statements closely as soon as you receive them, and confirm that you made or approved all of the purchases. If there are questionable charges on your statement, contact the company immediately to find out when and where the purchase was made and to formally dispute the charge. You might be surprised to know how many people fail to review their statements carefully each month. Failure to attend to your accounts could leave you thousands, even hundreds of thousands, in debt with no products or services to show for it.

2. Request credit report updates at least twice a year. Look for a lower-than-expected credit score, unfamiliar accounts, or credit inquiries from companies you don't do business with.

3. Be careful to protect your personal financial papers. Keep them in a secure location, preferably under lock and key. And don't allow other people to access them without your express permission.

4. Be alert when you're writing checks or using your ATM card. Is there anyone near enough who could read and steal personal information or your PIN number? Be careful to protect these items from view.

5. Deliver your bill payments directly to the post office, and don't let your mail sit in your mail box too long. This is an open invitation to the ever-vigilant identity thief.

6. Use unexpected and unique passwords on all your internet accounts, mixing letters with numbers and symbols. And change your passwords at least every six months.

Keep up on the news about new identity theft strategies and scams. Read the paper and surf the internet to find out who's doing what these days. Make sure you know what your creditors do with their customers' personal information and demand they protect it. 

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Avoid becoming a victim of identity theft by applying common sense and careful thought to your everyday transactions. Question people who ask for inappropriate information and feel empowered to refuse to answer. Remember that you may not know your co-workers and acquaintances very well. Do not share your information with anyone you don't trust 100%.

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how to be protected online and be safe from cyber threats and cyberattacks

Viruses, ransomware, scams, identity theft and loss of digital information are becoming more and more common as we move towards a digital age.

With digital security becoming more apparent, it is very important to adopt a good habit in keeping yourself and your family safe online. Below are some basic tips and hints to protect your identity, files and your personal device.

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Keep your computer, smartphone and tablet clean

• Keep your device up to date with the latest software
  Software updates provide enhancements and security updates.
• Keep your security software (anti-virus) up to date
  Security software needs latest virus definitions to identify new and emerging virus/malware. Yes, even Mac's and smartphones needs security software.
• Scan external devices (USB)
  USB and external devices can carry virus from infected devices onto yours. Make sure you enable external device scanning to ensure it doesn't get onto your computer

Be very web savvy online

• Watch out for dangerous links and attachmentsWhen there is doubt, delete it. Links/attachments in emails, tweets, SMS, posts and advertising are way cyber criminals can compromise your device. If its suspicious or too good to be true, delete it, block or mark it as junk.
• Check for trusted websites
  When banking online or shopping, ensure they have SSL (secure socket layer) security. SSL protects passwords and your banking information securely.
• Beware of Phishing
  Phishing is a way for cyber criminals to mask legitimate website with their own to steal your confidential login. Do not click on any requests to verify your password unless you requested it.
• Risks with public Wi-Fi Hotspots
  Adjust your security level on your device when accessing public networks. Your device firewall and anti-virus can detect and adjust automatically when connecting to different networks. Turn off your Wi-Fi to public networks when you don't need to use it anymore.

Protect your personal information

• Keep your password complex
  Don't use generic password. Keep it complex with the combination of upper case/lower case characters, numbers and symbols. If it's too hard to remember, use a secure password manager to keep track.
• Use Two Step Verification
  Two step verification will make it more difficult to access you online presence. If a cyber criminal has your password, they will be stopped if they don't have access to your other devices and accounts.

Back it all up
Backup your data, photos, documents, video and other digital information and store it securely.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sin_Ngo/2289292

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 

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While most people know this, it's still worth mentioning that if you want to have a carefree online experience - an antivirus is simply a necessity. Despite all of the efforts by programmers from all around the world to remove harmful web pages from the search engine results, people can still access all of those pages directly, or trough social media networking sites.

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This is one of the many reasons why you need a software solution that is able to protect you from threats such as malware, spyware, Trojan Horses, key-loggers, and much more. According to Kaspersky Lab, there are over 300.000 new potential threats every day; and in order to protect your PC, you cannot simply pick any random software and hope that it will do miracles for your system. So here are a few tips on how to choose the best antivirus software.

Search for Online Reviews
Most reviewers are quite honest actually, that is, if you know where the look on the internet. PC Advisor and PC Mag are great for recommendations, because they usually have well-written, informative reviews about the latest software on the market. However, if you really want to compare specifications, prices, add-ons and more, you should definitely find a top 10 antivirus list online in order to narrow the search.

Of course, another option is to seek out some forums like Bleeping Computer and Tom's Hardware so you could ask some members for advice. The best option is to combine the two - read some expert reviews first, and then the users about their opinion on the matter. Doing this, you will be able to know if a particular antivirus is underrated or overhyped.

Paid vs. Free
As you probably already know, there are two types of antiviruses - paid and free. The free software is, naturally, completely free of charge (however, some have premium editions and add-ons which can cost you) whereas paid software comes in an array of different packages and rates. Obviously, if you want the best across-the-board protection for your machine, you should pay for your software. Paid solutions usually have a wide range of protection features, and they won't distract you with upgrade notifications every two minutes.

Nevertheless, if you have a small budget or you don't want to spend a large sum of cash on a piece of software; don't dismiss the free ones, because there are some fantastic solutions on the market that won't cost you a penny. If you opt for a something free of charge, we recommend that you download either Avast Free Antivirus 2016 or BullGuard Internet Security, as both have top notch features comparable to paid software.

Look at the Features Closely
When it comes to choosing the safest software, perhaps the most important factor is how much protection it's going to provide for your device. Even the majority of free antiviruses nowadays offer protection against such threats as fraud tools, backdoor and browser hijackers. Also, keep in mind that a big price doesn't necessarily equate to first-rate protection and cost-free doesn't necessarily mean flawed software either.

VPN security is one the many features offered by most of today's antiviruses; this will come in handy if you regularly use unprotected WI-FI as it will protect your computer or mobile device from identity thieves and hackers. Many people who browse the Web and download content often find unwanted toolbars downloaded in the process; luckily, most software has "Browser Cleanup" tool that will keep everything unwanted from your browser.

Mark Williams is computer safety consultant who makes assessments of new variations of anti-virus programs since 2007. These tests aids him to choose the ideal anti-virus for any personal computer. To see anti-virus examination reports take a look at his webpage http://www.top10antiviruslist.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mark_Williams/2300232

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The busiest travel and vacation holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, will quickly be upon us. And whether traveling across the country, borders or just to the next town, it's important to be secure in cyber space.

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Travelers very often rely on public computers or WiFi and can become easy prey for hackers. Or they may need to leave their electronic devices unattended in hotel rooms or in-transit.
The following procedures will keep you cyber protected next time you're away from home.

Prior to Leaving Home:

• Limit the number of electronic devices you take to those you can carry on your person; making it less likely for your devices to get stolen or compromised.
•  
• Prior to leaving, update your mobile software. In order to improve your device's capability in defending itself against malware, keep your operating system software and apps on your mobile device updated.
•  
• While your device is on idle, turn off the Wi-Fi and its remote access modes. Some devices will automatically seek and connect to all available wireless networks. Disabling these features will allow you to connect to only the wireless and Bluetooth networks you choose, when you choose.?
•  
• Create strong passwords. Passwords should be at least eight characters in length with both numbers, letters and special characters (@!$?). Create unique passwords for each device.
•  
• Enable stronger authentication. Stronger authentication (also known as two-factor or multi-factor authentication) adds an extra layer of security beyond using a password to access your accounts. Most major e-mail, social media and financial platforms offer multi-factor authentication to their users. Be sure to ask your service provider if you can activate this feature before departing on your trip.

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During the Trip:
Be aware of your Internet activity and how you can protect your privacy as well as your device:

• Keep your phone locked when not using it. Even a few minutes could be enough time to allow someone to steal your information. Using strong PINs and passwords for your accounts and locking the screen would go a long way to protect your device.
• Think before you connect. Be sure to confirm the name of the network and login procedures with appropriate staff of public wireless hotspots at airports, hotels, train/bus stations or cafes to make sure that the networks are legitimate. Many fake networks have seemingly legitimate names
• Protect your money and your information. Do not conduct sensitive activities, such as online shopping, banking, or sensitive work, using a public wireless network or a public computer.
• Delete your cookies and cache. Each time the Internet is accessed, browsers save your information. This saved data is called a "cookie." This cookie, can include login credentials or other personal information, that can then be accessed by other individuals that may use the computer. If you use the Internet on a public computer (such as at a hotel or café) while you are traveling, be sure to delete your cookies in the web browser after you have finished.
• Don't broadcast your location. If you do, you could be alerting stalkers where to find you, or telling a thief that you are not home. Many social media platforms offer location-tagging as part of their features. Avoid using these location features and do not announce on social media that you will be out of town.

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To learn more about how you can defend against cyber threats, please visit the Department of Homeland Security's Stop.Think.Connect.™ Campaign

DL Consultants, LLC
http://www.VigilanceandSecurity.com
Vigilance and Security is a fast growing internet reseller of a broad line of cutting edge security camera and surveillance systems appropriate for home, as well as, small and medium business applications. Our clients include parents, homeowners, warehouses, convenience stores, restaurants and retail establishments. Our mission is to provide the highest level of service, integrity, and product value.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dorothy_Lumski/32707

 

 

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UPDATING OF ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE-WHY IT IS IMPORTANT AND HOW TO DO IT

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To ensure smooth running of the different programs in a computer and to protect it from various security threats, anti-virus software is a must. Once you are sure of how to select best computer antivirus software you need to answer the next question which is how to use an antivirus software effectively.  However, simply buying the best antivirus software is not sufficient. One needs to update it regularly. One should also remember to renew the subscription to antivirus software.

Hackers are constantly trying to find out new loopholes in the system so that they can make their way through. For this, they constantly create new malware and viruses to hack personal computers. The virus database needs to be updated from time to time so that the computer is well-equipped to fight against the new threats. Without proper updates, the software would be virtually ineffective in protecting a computer against possible threats.

Read our Editors' guide on: HERE*

 

The updates can be downloaded and installed automatically. The settings of a computer can be changed in such a way so that automatic checking for updates takes place and the user is notified of the newer updates. He can go for the download and installation process of that particular update in his convenient time provided he gets access to internet connection. Another option is to change the settings for auto-download and auto-installation so that the updates keep on downloading and installing on their own. One does not need to worry about updates of antivirus software at all and does not require to invest his valuable time or energy for it. However, a proper internet connection is required in order to support the proper scheduling and installation of updates. 

One can schedule the timings for routine scans keeping in mind that the system will be connected to the internet at that time. In doing so, the software comes up with notification pop ups whenever there is a need for updates.

      
In case a user is not comfortable with automatic scheduling of updates in the computer, he or she can update the software manually. For this, one needs to go to the Control Panel after clicking the start button. Next, “System and Security” needs to be selected after which he must choose “Review your Computer’s Status”. The antivirus software would be listed under the “Virus Protection” if the operating system can detect it. By clicking on the update button, one can begin the process of updating.

In case the Action Center does not display the antivirus software, one must go the official website of the antivirus company. From the “download” section, he or she needs to choose the version that is suitable for his system and then start updating it. For any kind of assistance, the “Help” icon must be clicked. 

The antivirus updates are normally free. However, some companies charge a nominal amount for the update. Also, in case the older version of the antivirus software does not support the updates, a newer version needs to be bought. 

Read our Editors' guide on: HERE*

Without frequent updates, the antivirus software is of little value. So, in order to keep our system’s protection up-to-date, we should not only install antivirus software that features among the Top Three best computer Antivirus Software in market but also keep a check on its regular update process.         

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With the increasing real risk of abuse on the internet, cyber security is increasingly important and you are strongly commended to consider and implementing the following and creating/nurturing a culture within the business/organisation of awareness, good practice conscious behaviour, and understanding of the real potential and actual risks. Just imagine what it might be like for a Hacker to access your social media - look at takethislollipop.com. No, this is not for real and you have not been hacked, simply an online program to provide food for thought!

1. Ensure you have your firewall set up on all devices used be it desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile. Disable all unnecessary service features that may be included in the firewall package.
2. Disallow all connection attempts to and from us inside unless you are sure that this is what you want and is authorised. Allowing any inbound connections to your system provides a mechanism hackers might be able to exploit to establish connections to Trojan horses or by exploiting bugs in service software.

3. Do not rely upon Windows ISA Server built-in filtering alone to protect your connection.
4. Do not use simple packet filtering or packet-filtering services from the Internet Service Provider (ISP) as a replacement for application-layer firewalls. They are not as secure.
5. Make sure there is no way for a hacker to tell which firewall product is in use.
6. Never publish a list of user or employee names on the Web site. Publish job titles instead.
7. Set the TCP/IP stacks to accept connection only on ports for services that machine specifically provides.

8. Install the latest version of the operating system software. Check your computer or device for update, better still set-up for auto updates to ensure that this occurs.
9. Do not allow clear text-password authentication.
10. Record the IP addresses of the source computers, (assuming they look valid), and try to determine the source of the attacks so legal measures can be taken to stop the problem.
11. As a part of security conscious awareness, make sure users know to report all instances of denial of service whether they seem important or not. If a specific denial of service cannot be correlated to known downtime or heavy usage, or if a large number of service denials occur in a short time, a siege may be in progress.

12. Great care must be taken when downloading information and files from the Internet to safeguard against both malicious code and also inappropriate material.
13. Avoid using one of the smaller Internet service providers. Hackers frequently target them as potential employers because they often have less security awareness and may use UNIX computers, rather than dedicated machines, as gateways and firewalls-making spoof attacks easy to perpetrate. Ask the service provider if they perform background checks on technical service personnel, and reject those that say they do not.

14. Plan and have regularly tested to ensure that damage done by possible external cyber crime attacks can be minimised and that restoration takes place as quickly as possible. Check with your online provider as to what measures they have in place in this event. Try and undergo an 'APR' - Aware - Intelligent insight to monitor evolving threats and anticipate risks. Prepare - Setting and implementing the right technology and cultural strategy to manage evolving cyber threats. Respond - Crisis management, diagnostics and solutions so you can minimise the material impact of cyber attacks in real time at any time. You can visit also 'Google Digital Attack Map' and 'Digital Attack Map' - simply use a web browser search engine and use the named description phrases as key words to find.

15. In order to reduce the incidence and possibility of internal attacks, access control standards and data classification standards are to be periodically reviewed whilst maintained at all times.
16. Have procedures to deal with hoax virus warnings are to be implemented and maintained.
17. Antivirus software is to be deployed across all PC's with regular virus defining updates and scanning across servers, PC's and laptop computers + tablets. For Mac's please visit their website.
18. Personnel (be they paid or unpaid staff/volunteers), should understand the rights granted to them by your business/ organisation in respect of privacy in personal e-mail transmitted across the business/organisation systems and networks.

19. Confidential and sensitive information should not be transmitted by mail unless it is secured through encryption or other secure means.
20. E-mail should be considered as an insecure communications medium for the purposes of legal retention for record purposes. With the usage of digital signatures and encryption, reliance upon e-mail may soon be available; however, if in any doubt, treat e-mail as transient.
21. External e-mail messages should have appropriate signature footers and disclaimers appended (E-mail Signature File). A disclaimer is particularly important where, through a miss-key, the e-mail is sent to an inappropriate person. The disclaimer should confirm the confidential nature of the e-mail and request its deletion if the addressee is not, in fact, the intended recipient.
22. You should not open e-mails or attached files without ensuring that the content appears genuine. If you are not expecting to receive the message or are not absolutely certain about its source do not open it.

23. (a) If you have ANY e-mail or message that image wise look legitimate but you are not sure please DO NOT click and open it. It will tell and alert the Hacker you mail box is live and can then monitor you - how many people have had spam mail unwittingly from genuine friends who did not know have accessed their e-mail box (and looked at the undeleted 'sent' e-mails which will likely be almost full with the e-mail addresses of everyone you have contacted).

(b) Instead point your cursor over the URL link and simultaneously on down the command key button. This will show you options two of which are open in 'new tab' or 'new window" in your browser. Point one of these and release so that it does this. This way the hacker does not know you are have done this. You will see the URL address on at the top of your browser as it is opening.

(c) It is almost a certainty that in most cases when you look at the web address it will not be the company purporting to be where it is coming from, e.g. It will be PayPal dot com or PayPal dot co.UK but an entire altered redirection website which will have been set up to image something like the login web page of the legitimate site. NEVER, EVER, pleeesssee proceed to login - it is a fake and you will compromise your security login and your identity with potentially serious implications. As this point you can clearly see it is not from whom it is purported to be. Simply closure the window.
d) Secondly, where personal data, especially where payment is required, e.g. bank, eBay, PayPal, Amazon etc, the web address (not matter whether it is a big well known business or a small one), will begin with HTTPS. If it does not end with the 's' - no matter even if it is a genuine website and you know them, never every make a payment or provide details. 's' = secure - the opposite is obviously = unsecured so can be infiltrated and again cause you potential problems and loss of data.

(e) Lastly, as simple good housekeeping practice, (1) if you have accessed a website that it not legitimate or where you have given personal data, go to your 'settings' in your browser(s) and locate the 'cookies' and delete all of these. A little frustrating as you will be used to starting to type regular sites visited and it will automatically find, but you can rebuild this again. Best where you have regular sites, e.g. Facebook, save to your web browser(s) 'favorites' - no not misspelt, bless the USA in differing from tomato and tomarto!!

d) Have anti-virus software installed (and always set the software to auto-update), irritating when in the middle of some task on screen that this will suddenly come to the forefront, but this is in your interest as it will update the definitions - which more often than not are updates against the latest threats and will isolate such things as considered virus-infected e-mails.

Sounds a lot to do, but when you do, it is barely takes a few moments and will help reduce eCyber threats and risks particularly the most common ones that people inadvertently fall into.
24. Users should be familiar with general e-mail good practice e.g. the need to save, store and file e-mail with business content in a similar manner to the storage of letters and other traditional mail. E-mails of little or no organisational value should on the other hand be regularly purged or deleted from your system.

25. Use standard TEXT (ASCII) messages where possible; these are both smaller, (in terms of file size), and are less able to 'hide' executable code e.g. HTML-based e-mails which can 'run' upon opening.
26. The sending of inappropriate messages should be prohibited including those, which are sexually harassing or offensive to others on the grounds of race, religion or gender.
27. The 'Cyber Streetwise' campaign aims to change the way people, (you and I), view online safety and provide the public + businesses with the skills and knowledge they need to take control of their cyber security. The campaign includes a new easy-to-use website and online videos.
28. It is also worth visiting and engaging with the 'Get Safe Online' website - a unique resource providing practical advice on how to protect yourself, your computers and mobiles device and your business against fraud, identity theft, viruses and many other problems encountered online. It contains guidance on many other related subjects too - including performing backups and how to avoid theft or loss of your computer, smartphone or tablet. Every conceivable topic is included on the site. There is also guidance on protecting your website, backing up your website, and working towards ways of protecting your products/services from pirates.
29. Registering, if not already done so with the DMCA will help slightly in locking down copying of your site.

30. Added to this is the Publishers Licensing Society PLSClear scheme.
31. Even the major Publishers have an issue and set up their own sites to report this so that they go through the motions of having the sites involved reported to sources such as Google and taken down.
32. Norton Identity Safe available by using your search engine and type in these three words can hep you get a Safe Web rating for every website you visit, plus get one-click access to your favourite sites.
33. For further informative reference, please download the IT Governance publication entitled "Cyber Security: A Critical Business Risk", again available by typing in this total in your search engine to get the URL link to access the material.

34. The Cyber-security Information Sharing Partnership (CiSP), part of CERT-UK, is a joint industry-government initiative to share cyber threat and vulnerability information in order to increase overall situational awareness of the cyber threat and therefore reduce the impact on UK business. CiSP allows members from across sectors and organisations to exchange cyber threat information in real time, on a secure and dynamic environment, whilst operating within a framework that protects the confidentiality of shared information. For other sources to help consideration on the subject please visit Microsoft Security TechCenter and CERT-EU.

Please also see web accessibility statement for further guidance and information, including links from the Author's web site links. FAQ's http://pub23.bravenet.com/faq/show.php?usernum=1893242183 are also available covering the issues and also available from the Author, as required.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Gordon_Owen/1621332

understanding what is email virus scam phishing and how to protect yourself from identity theft

What is Phishing?: The most dangerous way of extracting personal information With the widespread application of Internet on every sphere of our life, instances of Cyber crime have also increased. Phishing is one of them. Fraudsters make an attempt to obtain sensitive information about an individual by making use of the process of phishing, which helps them to acquire sensitive personal information such as user names, passwords and credit card details.

Read our Editors' review on Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers, and Spies 

Initialization of The Process of Phishing: In the name of an authorized institution some fraudulent individual or organization send an email to the individual or a company. They structure the email in such a way that the recipient is tempted to click on the URL of an unknown site, which has been designed professionally and seem to be legitimate. For example, you might receive an email from a bank where you have an account, stating that your credit card has undergone a transaction of certain amount and that clicking on a particular link could lead to stop payment.

This provokes you to click on the suspicious link as you realize that there has been no transaction of that kind recently and thus you end up revealing your personal details, unintentionally ending up in revealing your personal information These emails come from a fake website that has no connection with the reputable merchant or in this case the bank. The website has been framed in such a way that you are prompted to enter your personal data, such as name, password, credit card number or any other forms of personal information. Then, the information gets saved in the database of personal information of the thieves stealing identity online. After the con artists achieve their goal they carefully abandon the email address and the website.

Consequence of personal information leakage With the personal information in hand the fraudster starts misusing the detail to withdraw money from your account and use your credit card for buying things from online or conventional stores. They might also use your accounts to buy new products or services or sell them. For example, they can carry out any kind of transactions for travel or hotel reservations.

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Your personal information can be sold to other institutions at high prices who hire these frauds to obtain such details.
Since these frauds expertise in this field, they do maintain fake personal information about themselves, which makes it difficult for you to catch them.

Link manipulation Phishing involves the use of some technical deception, which has been designed especially to make a particular link, fitted into an email, seem to belong to a particular organization.
The use of misspelled URLs and subdomains are some of the major tricks applied in this field. For example, if the URL is [ www mybank section1com / ], it appears as the URL takes you to 'section1' of the 'mybank' website. But in actual sense it takes you to the 'mybank' section, which is the phishing section of the 'section1' website.

There is another common trick of phishing, that is, to make anchor text for a particular link seem to be valid, while the link takes you to the phisher's site. Where the URL takes you can be previewed and verified in such cases in the lower left hand corner of the browser.

Handling of Internationalized Domain Names enhances further problems. This takes you to malicious websites. Open URL redirectors are used on the websites of the trusted organizations so that malicious URLs are disguised with trusted domain.

Escape from filters Phishers use images in phishing emails instead of text so that anti-phishing filters find it harder to detect commonly used text in phishing emails.

Ways of Website forgery The fraudulent make use of 'cross-scripting' to use flaws in the scripts of a trusted website, against the victim. Here the users are directed to sign in at the bank's or service provider's webpage. Starting web addresses to security certificates, everything appears to be just perfect.

The universal Man-in-the-middle Kit makes use of a simple and user friendly interface. The phisher is then allowed to give rise to convincing websites and thus extract all log-in information entered by the victim at the fake site.

Flash-based websites hide the multimedia object text but giving the website the look of a real website. These are the techniques used to avoid from being caught by the anti phishing techniques, which scan websites thoroughly.

Some websites place pop-up or pop-under windows asking a person to enter his/her credentials on the top of the website. These are quite appealing in their approach and hence the victim ends up giving out all personal details.

Damage caused is quite huge The denial of access to email and significant financial loss are the two main consequences faced by the victim. The IT sector is very much vulnerable to such phishing attacks and these attacks are quite severe. The financial sector is also equally vulnerable.
The banking bodies of some countries have made their customers aware of such phishing tricks and have also stated that it is mandatory for every customer to take precautions and not click on suspicious links.

Immediate Remedy The following steps can be undertaken: If you have given out your credit/ATM/debit card number or your bank account number then 1. Inform the issuer of the card on their toll free, 24-hour service numbers. 2. You can then cancel your account and open a new one immediately. 3. Review your bill statements

If you have downloaded a virus or Trojan then:
1. Install anti-virus software
2. Scan your computer thoroughly with the anti-virus software
3. Confirm every connection allowed by your firewall
4. Fix your system and then change your password
5. Check the latest updates with regard to your various accounts
6. Read the latest from the Internet Security Blog & Forum
If you have given out your personal information then:
1. The theft should be reported to security freeze for Experian, Equifax and TransUnion Corporation etc... and they should be requested to place a fraud alert and ask for a free copy of your credit report
2. Inform your banks and tell them to flag your account and inform you in case of any transaction
3. Contact your local police department to file a complaint
4. Inform the Department of Motor vehicles and the Passport office
5. Lodge a complaint at the Internet Fraud Complaint Center
6. Keep track of all the people you talk to about the incident and maintain a record of all other correspondence

Kaspersky has incorporated anti-phishing database in their applications and this database is updated continuously. As a result whenever you receive a message in your mail box or encounter a pop-up from such sites it sends out audible plus text messages showing the threat. Recently, Kaspersky incorporated a highly reliable open source application provider's database to strengthen their internet security programs.

http://sscommerce.com is an internet security blog, scam awareness forum and trusted source for purchasing the best anti-virus software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rashid_Ryan/253013

personal info online,understanding phishing,phishing emails, Antivirus software

Useful tips for computer virus protection

Read our Editors' review on Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers, and Spies  

Computers are one of the most important devices which almost all the users around the world are dependent upon. These computers are often attacked with viruses, which often breaks down the system. Hence it is important to keep your system protected with computer viruses protection and work on different risk factors which can probably cause harm to the system. In order to make users well versed of the facts of computers and its viruses, we have brought some useful tips that will explain how to Protect Your Computer from virus.

Online surfing

It is important to keep an eye on what sites you are visiting while staying connected to internet. There are chances that virus on internet can cause harm to the system. Hence users should ensure and visit only trust-able and reliable websites which will not cause any harm to the system. Even while accessing banking and credit card websites, users are exposed to the danger of loss of confidentiality of personal information. Hence it becomes important that trusted sites are chosen which can ensure credit card protection and can keep your details and confidential from outsiders.

Accessing email attachments

Users with malicious intentions often send out emails and attachments containing virus. It is important for the computer user to be informed and wise to not open email attachments from unknown users. They have chances of infecting your computer and make you lose important data stored within it.

Keep it away from kids

While you have the most important data stored in your computer, it is important that it is kept away from kids. Kids if given free access to your computer might cause damages which are irrecoverable. Thus it is important to be vigilant and keep a close look on what all access your kid is making to the system. You can even opt for parental locks while you install antivirus software. Some of the users personally get into cleanup of their PC to ensure that things within it are kept well protected from third untrusted parties. 

Installation of good antivirus software

While users remain wise, it is also important to take precaution. It can be simply down by installing bestselling antivirus software. The best software from the market shall keep your system protected no matter what kind of virus is attempting to harm your system. So, no matter if you enter any unreliable website or download wrong attachment, the virus software will ensure safety of your computer system.

Read our Editors' review on Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers, and Spies  

 

Purchasing Antivirus software

While one of the key steps for your computer protection remains anti-virus software, it is important to know how to select best computer antivirus software. You need to ensure that the choice of the right supplier is done from the market. You can even scroll for options online and simply follow steps on how to buy antivirus software online? By availing online purchase options, users are served with multiple options to choose from and all of this can be done without having to step out from your comfort zone or working place. Users can even approach the local dealers to make purchase of antivirus software as per their need and requirement.

Read our Editors' review on Protect Your Computer From Viruses, Hackers, and Spies