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| Year
2003 |
Internet Frauds and Scams - Part IX :
How to Protect Your PC from Identity Thieves |
Your computer may be a gold mine of personal information
and the hackers know it. So, even if you have taken
all precautions, an identity thief may still pick
up personal information from your computer without
setting foot in your house.
Here are some tips to safeguard your
computer:
- Update your virus protection software regularly.
Without regular updates - your virus protection
software is incapable of protecting your PC from
latest viruses. Remember, viruses can wreck havoc
with your data including lifting your personal files
and distributing to all through e-mail.
- Be on the alert for security repairs and patches
that you can download from your operating system's
website.
- Install a firewall system to stop hackers access
your computer while you are surfing the Net, more
so if you use high-speed Internet connection like
cable or DSL that leaves your computer connected
to the Internet 24 hours a day.
- Never download files sent to you by strangers
or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know.
Opening a file attached to an e-mail expose your
system to a computer virus. Clicking at unknown
hyperlinks may take you to compromised sites with
mischievous codes.
- Use a secure browser - software that encrypts
or scrambles information you send over the Internet
- to guard the security of your online transactions.
Be sure your browser has the most up-to-date encryption
capabilities by using the latest version available
from the manufacturer. You also can download some
browsers for free over the Internet. When submitting
information, look for the "lock" icon
on the browser's status bar to be sure your information
is secure during transmission.
- Try not to store financial information on your
laptop unless absolutely necessary.
- Before you dispose of a computer delete personal
information from its hard disk. Deleting files using
the keyboard or mouse commands may not be enough
as any hacker can recover so called 'deleted' files
easily. Use a 'wipe out' or 'secure delete; utility
to overwrite the entire hard drive. That way - deleted
files can never be recovered.
- Similarly, carefully destroy old CD-ROMS, Floppies
and other computer media. Shred or tear off old/discarded
print-outs
Internet Resources on Identity Theft:
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| Happy and Productive
Surfing Dr.
Amit K Chatterjee
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Related Links :
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Author
: Dr.
Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs
for 15 years in various capacities like
Research and Information Analysis, Market
Development, MIS, R&D Information Systems
etc. before starting his e-commerce venture
in 1997. The views expressed in this columns
are of his own. |
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