IT Security Awareness Month: Identity Theft

From the IT Group: As we wrap up October IT Security Awareness month, one of the most important topics involves identity theft. While identity theft has been around for a long time, the explosion of the internet has increased its frequency. The older methods of stealing identities like “dumpster diving” and “phone scams” have given way to spam, phishing, spyware, and keyloggers. These newer methods take advantage of the speed of the internet, the accessibility of internet resources, and the large volumes of personal identifiable information (PII) data stored insecurely.

While breaches of PII at various companies and institutions are out of your control, UR at the center of your own secURity, and one of the more important ways U can reduce the risk of identity theft is to practice safe computing practices:
• Keep your antivirus software up to date.
• Keep your operating system current with the latest security patches.
• Password protect your computer against unauthorized use.
• Use strong passwords.
• Run antispyware/antivirus programs regularly.
• Use a personal firewall.
• Avoid using unsecured wireless networks.
• Avoid file-sharing software.
• Be smart while surfing the internet.
• Do not open attachments in emails from someone you don’t know.
• Do not click on links in emails, IMs, social networking sites, blogs, and wikis.

Read more here about how to protect yourself and what the actual costs to you can be if you are a victim of identity theft.