Protect yourself from online identity theft

Life is much easier for many of us these days because of the Internet. You can access to unlimited information, communicate with people anywhere in the world and send and receive important documents. But there is one drawback to all this convenience. All this information flow makes it much easier for criminals to get their hands on your personal information. 

Many people these days includes a lot of sensitive information stored on their PDAs, laptops and desktop computers. This often includes data such as banking and credit card information with the relevant passwords. The extent of the damage can be done to your credit can be devastating if a criminal is able to get his hands on your electronic data. Hacking your computer long distance is another way to access your private information. 

Here are some tips to protect against identity theft that can help you avoid this catastrophic situation.

1) Block unauthorized access to your computer by requiring a password to log in. Do this for your PDA and laptop too. 

2) Change your computer settings so it does not automatically remember your passwords. This can be handy to have your computer immediately enter passwords for all your accounts. But it also makes it awfully easy for an identity thief to log in to your accounts. 

3) Change your passwords often. 

4) Install a good antivirus program, and let it run at all times. This will protect your computer from hackers who might otherwise be able to sneak into the system and take what they need. 

5) Another area where you must use caution with regard to file sharing. If your computer is configured to allow transfer of information between two computers, you are more vulnerable to hacking. 

6) Phishing is among the fastest growing methods to illegally obtain confidential information. Typically you will receive an e-mail that appears to be sent from a legitimate organization. When you follow the link, you will be prompted to enter your password. These data are then used to steal your identity for fraudulent purposes. 

Another way to protect yourself is to take out identity theft insurance, which is widely available in those days. If your personal information is stolen or compromised, this type of insurance to pay for your expenses to remedy the situation. Postage is the cost of telephone calls and related legal fees all normally covered. You can also recover lost earnings if you missed work while trying to resolve the situation. If you do not think you could deal with such costs on their own, your best bet is to take some cover.