Online Activity Can Lead To Identity Theft - Be Careful

In the modern, digital, internet age most of us live our lives online. Undoubtedly, the internet has made it possible for most people to:

  • Converse with each other easily – regardless of geographical boundaries.
  • Enjoy updates on their favorite brands.
  • Do all their banking operations from the comfort of their homes or offices.
  • Search for information on virtually anything.

There are immense advantages to such an online life but one should also exercise immense caution when it comes to protection of identity. For identity theft is a very real danger with online activity.  Here are a few things you can do to prevent the same.

Realize the danger

Even if the website has safe certificates and is of that of a renowned brand, you must exercise caution when it comes to online behavior. A service provider such as Lifelock will be able to scan multiple websites and look to see if your personal information is surfacing anywhere. Such privacy monitoring services can help mightily in safe online activity. Nothing can be as effective as your own vigilance. So, read on and be safer online.

Your wireless networks

Wireless networks can speed up your online transactions but in order to make it secure, you should go in for an encrypted wireless network. If possible, stay away from open networks that may lack in security protocols.

Social networking

Social engineering is a tool that is used by identity thieves to guess your passwords or even shadow you in the real world with the purpose of stealing your purse or wallet. So exercise caution in posting information online.

You are on holiday and you take a picture of your location and put it online saying “Day 2 of our 15-day honeymoon” and everybody knows that you are going to be away for 13 more days! If you have revealed your home address in other posts then a thief simply has to break in and ferret away your important papers.

Shopping

There are websites galore when it comes to online shopping. Finding your favorite brand or product at a great price is easier than ever before. But, before you input your credit card details on a website:

  • Check its security credentials.
  • Assess whether it is asking for way too much information about you.
  • Read customer reviews about the website on independent forums.
  • Check whether they have been in the business for a long time.

It is also wise to keep a low-limit credit card for use on online shopping. This will limit the potential damage when and if the card gets stolen.

Banking and financial transactions

Your bank accounts can be protected with two-step authentication and a whole host of security measures. Use them all! It could be something as simple as signing up for text alerts for every kind of activity associated with your bank and cards. This will ensure that you get immediate alerts on card activity. One-time passwords are also useful because they get sent to your mobile device whenever you embark on a financial transaction.