Entering information into forms and profiles online is part of our lives, but it’s not always obvious what’s legitimate and what’s fake. Not knowing the difference could rip you of your identity, prompting big problems for you and your money.
More companies are following what we do online, and it may seem kind of creepy, but they’ll use that information to create personalized content to sell to us or sell the information to advertisers.
AT&T actually just launched a program called “Digital You” that offers really great tips on how to protect yourself… to be online safely and securely for everyone, from newcomers to parents and their kids.
Here are some tips from the pros:
1. Create smart and strong passwords. There’s a strategy to this. To help protect your identity and privacy, choose a password made of random numbers and letters. Make it difficult for hackers to crack your password. You can create a smart password by incorporating capital letters, numbers, and special characters, and using more than six characters. An example of a strong password is:Go1dM!n3.
2. Watch the pop-ups. Do not answer pop-up messages or emails that ask you to update your account information. If you don’t know the source of an email, don’t open it. Delete it. Be careful about what information you submit via email. Never send your credit-card information, Social Security number, or other private information via email. Consider two email addresses: one for spam and one for personal use.
3. Shop safely. Only share credit card and personal information when buying from an established company. If you plan to order from an online store, be sure that the Web site uses secure technology. Also, check to see if a tiny locked padlock symbol appears at the bottom right of the checkout screen, or that there is a statement on the checkout screen stating that the pages are secure with a security technology vendor. You can take it a step further and check the vendor’s website.
4. Watch out for phishing scams. Phishing: Phony emails, messages, texts, or links to fake websites that scam artists use to trick people into giving out personal and financial information. These scams use fraudulent emails and fake web sites, masquerading as legitimate businesses, to lure unsuspecting users into revealing private account or login information. To be safe, if you receive an email from a business that includes a link to a web site, make certain that the web site you visit is legitimate. Instead of clicking through to the site from within the email, open a separate Web browser and visit the business’ web site directly to perform the necessary actions. You can also verify that an email is in fact from a legitimate business by calling the business or agency directly.
5. Install anti-virus software on your computer and keep it updated. Use the latest version of your web browser. Install security patches and software updates as soon as they are ready to install. Beware of downloading free software..
