If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the last month several high profile 
companies were hacked and individuals’ personal information was compromised. The sites included health insurance providers, job searching sites, restaurant chains, a fitness and diet tracking website and even online photo storage sites. The numbers of people potentially involved in these breaches are staggering.
It’s even been rumored that you can buy the entire customer databases of 6 large companies for $20,000 in Bitcoin.
It’s harder than ever to protect your identity, so here are 9 simple steps that you can implement today that will help make you safer:
- Change your passwords – Change them! All of them! And don’t just change them once. Set a reminder to change them once every 6 months. If you use a single password across multiple websites, the breach of one site can put every site you access at risk.
- Implement a complex password scheme – Yeah, it’s a pain. But an ounce of pain is worth a pound of prevention. Your password should include upper and lower case letters, numerals and special characters. The absolute minimum number of characters your email should contain is 11. Ideally, it should contain 14 or more. Your password should never include the name of your child, spouse or pet or other information that is easily gleaned from your social media accounts.
- Use 2 Factor Authentication – Wherever and whenever possible, use 2 factor authentication. This authentication technique is a form of user validation that requires users to take an additional step in the logon process to prove their identity. It requires the user to authenticate on a “known device,” typically by supplying a code that is texted or emailed to a verified account. This method is used by Google, Microsoft, Apple and even the IRS. It may be a minor inconvenience to the user, but 2 factor authentication causes major problems to hackers.
- Implement antivirus and malware detection software – There are a lot of great antivirus and malware detection software packages on the market. Most are cheap. Some are free. The key is to implement them and make sure they are updated regularly.
- Shred all documents containing sensitive or uniquely identifying information – Hackers admit that one of their best sources for access is rummaging through trash for scraps of paper containing usernames, passwords, password hints, social security numbers and other sensitive information. Invest in a good shredder or take your sensitive papers to a local business that offers shredding services. Some cities even offer a free shredding day where residents can bring their personal papers in for shredding at no cost.
- Never leave items containing personal information in plain sight – Never keep important personal information visible in your home or car. All it takes for your identity to be compromised is for the wrong person to walk by.
- Purchase a credit monitoring service – There are a variety of credit monitoring services that you can purchase. If you have minor children, you may want to purchase credit monitoring for them too. Identity thieves have discovered that most children don’t have their credit checked and exploit this fact. Sign up for real-time alerts so that you can act quickly in the event that your identity is stolen.
- Exercise caution with email – Never email personal information such as passwords, social security numbers, or other information that might put your identity at risk. A good rule of thumb is: Never email something you wouldn’t shout out loud on a crowded street. Never open strange or unexpected attachments, especially from unknown sources.
- Keep your devices secure – Keep your devices physically secure. Keep all devices physically locked or on your person at all times. Password protect phones, tablets and all other electronic devices.
A little common sense and adapting these practices can go a long way towards helping you keep your identity secure. If you have any questions about identity theft and how to stay safe and security, contact us.
