Understanding computers and how to protect yourself from identity theft
Over a billion people around the world can now find information quickly thanks to the Internet. As a person connects to more computers, companies, and other people online, there are more risks to their security. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is in charge of protecting consumers, says that everyone who uses the Internet should know how important security is and take steps to protect themselves.
Why safety is important and how to keep yourself safe
The Computer: One of the smart things about a computer is that it can talk to other computers over the Internet to get you information. When a computer is connected to other computers, it lets information flow between them. This can make the computer vulnerable. Hackers can connect to the computer, look for open ports, and find out information about the computer user that they shouldn't have.
Most computers have something called an "Intrusion Detection System" (or "IDS") that watches for strange things happening on the computer. When the IDS finds suspicious activity, it sends an alert that an intrusion has taken place.
Your computer won't be safe from hackers and viruses if you only have an IDS. Users of computers should also protect themselves with firewalls, which put up a wall between hackers and the computer and make it harder for hackers to get to the information that shouldn't be there.
The Computer User: The person who uses the computer can also accidentally open doors that lead to a security breach. This can happen when the user is making purchases on the Internet, for example. The U.S. Census Bureau says that online sales in the U.S. were $136.4 billion in 2007. Even though the Internet has made shopping much easier, it has also led to more people having their identities stolen. According to a study done by the US Department of Justice, 6.4 million households had their identities stolen in some way in 2005. When people shop online, they also risk getting more SPAM, which is junk e-mail. There are ways to lessen the risks of shopping online, which is good news.
Be careful about where you post your personal email address. Every time an Internet user gives their email address to make a purchase, they increase their chances of getting a SPAM email. As we've already said, hackers can get to customer information by scanning ports that aren't safe. When making a purchase, consumers can protect themselves by only giving out the information that is necessary. There are companies that help protect people from SPAM and identity theft when shopping online.
People should always make sure a site is safe before giving out payment information. Checking the web address bar at the top of the screen is an easy way to see if a site is safe. When you check out on a shopping site, the http that comes before the address should be changed to https. The "s" tells the customer that they are shopping on a secure page.
Lastly, a consumer shouldn't use ATM/debit cards to buy things because if this information gets stolen, it could be used to get into the consumer's bank account. Instead, use a credit card. Most credit card companies will help their clients if their credit card information is stolen by a hacker. Most of the time, the customer will only have to pay $50 for the transactions.
When a consumer shops wisely on the Internet and work with private Internet security sites and the FTC, their chances of becoming one of the six million households whose identities have been stolen go down.
