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How to prevent identity theft
The best way to prevent Identity Theft is always to be vigilant. Never assume or take things for granted. Here are examples of some of the steps you can take to protect yourself against Identity Theft: Buy a shredder – they are readily available from any office supplies company. They are also relatively cheap compared to the cost of having your identity stolen. Do NOT throw bank statements, cheque books, utility bills or old credit cards in the waste or rubbish bins. Always shred them or cut them up by using a pair of scissors. When paying for goods at a shop or withdrawing money from a cash point machine always protect your passwords, codes, PIN numbers from prying eyes. Protect your personal information within your own home.You may be careful about locking your doors and windows, and keeping your personal papers in a secure place but an identity thief may not need to set foot in your house to steal your personal information. You may store your financial records, tax returns, birth date, and bank account numbers on your computer. These tips can help you keep your computer - and the personal information it stores - safe. Virus protection software should be updated regularly, and patches for
your operating system and other software programs should be installed
to protect against intrusions and infections that can lead to the compromise
of your computer files or passwords. Ideally, virus protection software
should be set to automatically update each week. The Windows XP operating
system also can be set to automatically check for patches and download
them to your computer. Use a firewall program, especially if you use a high-speed Internet connection
that leaves your computer connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. The
firewall program will allow you to stop uninvited access to your computer.
Without it, hackers can take over your computer, access the personal information
stored on it, or use it to commit other crimes. Try not to store financial information on your laptop unless absolutely necessary. If you do, use a strong password a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and symbols. Don't use an automatic log-in feature that saves your user name and password, and always log off when you're finished. That way, if your laptop is stolen, it's harder for a thief to access your personal information. Before you dispose of a computer, delete all the personal information it stored. Deleting files using the keyboard or mouse commands or reformatting your hard drive may not be enough because the files may stay on the computer's hard drive, where they may be retrieved easily. Use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive.
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