Cybersecurity 101: Protecting Your Identity Online
Cybersecurity 101: Follow these tips to keep your computer’s security tight.
Cybersecurity is crucial to identity protection, and as the identity protection company, we at Legal Shred want to remind our customers to engage in safe online practices, in addition to protecting themselves offline.
The Internet is a wonderful tool; research is right at our fingertips. We can enroll in distance learning classes. We can engage with family and friends through social media. We can shop, listen to music, and pay our bills. As amazing as the Internet is, it’s important to safeguard our personal information while we are online. Here are some tips and tools that focus on the importance of cybersecurity and staying safe online.
Social Media
The increased use of social media means more opportunities to steal identities or perpetrate fraud online, and there are a number of ways criminals can use this platform to wreak havoc on users. When using social media, never share social security numbers and be sure to change your passwords frequently. Don’t publicly share your birth date, hometown, or place of business, and definitely don’t store credit card information for third-party app purchases. Also, beware of who you accept as a friend online. Cyber criminals often create fake profiles to befriend you. The ultimate goal is to get you to leak confidential data to them, either about you or the company you work for.
Shopping Safe
Online identity protection requires a lot diligence, but it is not impossible. Create passwords which are long, unique, and use a mix of random numbers and lower and upper case letters. When shopping online, always verify the retailer’s security certificate and that you are indeed shopping on a secure site. A computer that isn’t protected by full-fledged security software is more likely to be compromised by malware. When that happens, all data entered into or transmitted from that computer is at risk, including all forms of personally identifiable information, credit-card numbers and bank accounts. Always look for the HTTPS lock symbol in your browser address window when performing an online purchase.
Use Antivirus Protection
Get protection for your connection! Do a bit of research and choose an antivirus you trust.
Paid is better than free. Antivirus is still very necessary, so don’t skip it.
Shredding is Not Just for Paper
Anyone who exchanges sensitive information, whether it’s digital or analog, should invest in a security plan that includes hard drive destruction, data destruction, and document shredding.
Legal Shred can help businesses and consumers properly destroy both digital and paper data to mitigate identity theft and non-compliance. We offer hard drive destruction, electronics recycling, and document shredding to ensure the safety of your business and its data. After your material has been destroyed, we send a certificate of destruction so you know that your data is no longer usable.
Service Areas: Florida Shredding; Orlando Shredding; Tampa Shredding; Naples Shredding; New York Shredding; Westchester Shredding; Long Island Shredding and more!