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Computer Fraud And Online Identity Theft by Steven Smith
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Computer Fraud And Online Identity Theft |
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Business
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Computer fraud and online identity theft are an on going problem in today's cyber world. These aren't minor occurrences or small incidents where simple online passwords to email accounts are revealed or stolen. The problems that online users face today when it comes to identity security are immense. The truth is that most people are simply not aware of the dangers they're in by doing business and accessing online destination without the proper protection in place. Starting with the computer systems they use to access the internet, are they truly protected and able to handle the malicious traffic that everyone is due to get while connected to the internet? In most cases the answer is no. In most cases internet users are just not knowledgeable enough to know that their systems are vulnerable. Did you know that your computer system must be updated constantly to receive the latest security patches available? Most people know this but don't really bother to make sure it happens. This is when back doors are left open and identity fraud occurs. Computer identity theft happens when an online identity thief lets himself into your computer system with the intention of finding and stealing your personal information. This is often possible when spyware software quietly invites itself into your computer and corrupts or compromises the integrity of your information. This type of computer crime actually occurs in many ways not just through viruses and spyware. Knowledgeable hackers can target specific computer systems and it does not necessarily have to be your own. Often the places that you do business with and store your information can be breached and abused. Security breaches are incidents in which the computer networks of financial and sometimes medical institutions are compromised by hackers, particularly when these networks are not adequately protected. Other incidents that create security breaches are when employees of these organizations take the information themselves, or when equipment or media such as laptops and pen drives are transported from place to place and are lost in transit or stolen. These security breaches occur several times each year and expose the information of millions of innocent subscribers and members and increase the likelihood of identity fraud. This is different than computer identity theft, in that you really have no control over what happens to your information when it is stored on someone else's computer network or who has access to it, but it's most definitely a concern. Best practices for protection against computer fraud Follow these simple steps and make it a habit to proactively be on the lookout for online identity theft and other computer crimes. Even if you do not store anything valuable on your computer system, you can not sit back and disregard its security if someone is always watching what you do. There are other risks when it comes to unprotected computer systems that go slightly out of the scope of the main topic, so we'll stick to the prevention steps you should take to avoid being had by identity fraud. Proper computer protection - Start with the basics, most computer systems when purchased new, come with 3 months, 6 months and sometimes 1 year memberships to virus protection. It is actually rare that new computer systems will come pre-installed with spyware software and firewall protection as well. The trial period is nothing more than a chance for you to see how the virus protection works and then subscribe to the full membership, so once it ends either renew it or look for another antivirus software immediately. It is highly recommended that internet users also make use of online identity theft protection tools like spyware and firewall software. These two types of software along with antivirus software will give you a great layer of protection against computer fraud and online identity theft. Spyware does not work the same as viruses. Where viruses can be self contained and in many cases are able to replicate themselves, spyware is typically hosted on web servers and triggered by free programs that users download. Online identity theft protection steps - Whenever you access the internet you have to know that your computer system is both broadcasting and receiving broadcast signals from many places. Several requests come in and out of your system and although many of the requests you send are legitimate, many other aren't. This is where spyware and firewall protection will play an important role in your computer's security. Spyware software will block any spyware according to its list of signatures, which will continuously update itself. Firewall software helps to make you invisible, it will detect requests going in and out of system and will allow those requests to get through according to the process access list that you define. Other dangers of the internet include membership sites and social media networks where people stay in touch with friends and often do business by networking with prospects and building lists of followers. The problem with social networks is that they are also full of identity thieves who are on the look out for any free information users may have volunteered. It's a good idea to use aliases instead of real names, also never provide your real address and phone number on these sites. Some of the people you befriend online may have other than friendly intentions, so never give into their requests for specific information on you. Advanced options for protection against computer identity theft Because you never really want a second job and looking after your own identity and worrying about computer fraud may seem like a little too much work, one option that's available to all is identity theft protection services that include online identity theft protection. These are advanced services that protect the many aspects of your identity including providing you with protection software that you can install on your system to prevent intrusion. The goal of subscribing to these services is to make sure that if someone gets a hold of your personal information, whether it be your credit card number, social security number or anything else, they can't actually use it. Online identity theft is only one front where you can become a victim, there are other areas that require as much attention so these services can provide great protection and make your life easier. Otherwise, you could definitely do some of what they provide on your own, just know that it will require some effort.For More Details, Please Visit : http://computerfraudandonlineidentitytheft.blogspot.in/
Related Articles -
ID Theft, ID Theft Protection, Identity Theft Protection, Protect Your ID,
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