How to safeguard our personal and financial data?

In nowadays world, almost all computer users are internet users, such as you and I also are users of internet. Internet is a public network which connecting computers throughout the world and this is the reason why people always say that internet is a borderless world. As a user of internet, it is unavoidable that we might need to register at some websites in order to become member of those websites or to subscribe the services provided. When during the registration process, it might be necessary for us to fill in some personal information to complete it. This has exposed the users of internet to the risk of losing their privacy or said to become the victims of identity theft.


Since today’s world is a keep on seeking for advancement, impossible is nothing, that’s mean everything can be happened and sometimes may be out of your imagination. Thus, it is important for internet users to always be alert and beware when you are asked to submit your personal data which including your name, address, contact number, gender, date of birth, e-mail address etc. and especially your financial data such as credit card’s number or bank account’s number when doing online funding transactions.

It is to be informed that identity theft is one of the nation’s fastest growing crimes. In 2003 alone, it was reported that 9.9 million people were victims of identity theft. Therefore, in order to protect ourselves from becoming one of the victims of identity theft, it is necessary for us to learn about how to safeguard our personal and financial data.

So, what can we do?

• Do not reveal any personal information or particularly passwords to anyone. Please always remember to log out properly after visit any website that contains privacy data to ensure that nobody can access into your personal information especially Financial Data Center before leaving the website.


• Close the browser window when using a public computer. You can avoid your personal information and mail reading by other users by doing this particularly when using a computer that shared in public places such as school computer lab, Cyber cafe etc.


• Avoid using passwords that are easily to be guessed. For example, your date of birth, contact number, identity card number and etc. This kind of information are not encouraged to write down or recorded in whichever type of medium and never carry it along with you in your wallet or handbag.


• Install antispyware and antivirus software. Some popular antivirus software such as AVG, BitDefender and Kaspersky are commonly used by computer users currently in trend. Antivirus helps to protect personal information, financial data and etc to be hacked or stolen by other users.


• Using access control mechanism to limit actions that can be performed by other users. Web owner can determine who can use the network resource and what resource can be used with the help of the mechanism to certain the most information or data that can be accessed by different authorised users.


• Keep your card close. No matter when you are out shopping or eating out in any places, you should watch how personnel handle your card when making payment and never ever left or throw the receipt away in a public place but take it with you to home.
  
• Pay attention when using an ATM. When you are doing transactions by using ATM, you should always take notice to those people who are a little bit too interested with your transaction and cover the keypad when entering your PIN to avoid others from knowing it.
• Keep credit cards to a minimum. It is advised that not to hold a number of credit cards in hand and keep only the credit card which actually use while other credit cards which no longer to be used should be destroyed appropriately by shredding them.

As conclusion, it is important for us to build up a community which is willing to work together to help to prevent personal and financial data leakage to identity theft and always be a smart users when using internet so to keep ourselves from suffer of advancement of technology.

For further details, try to have a look on Understand and Cope with Identity Theft, Smart Card Alliance Releases Security, Privacy Guidelines and Identity Theft Affects Internet Marketers and Business Owners Too!

Even more about AVG (AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0.1), BitDefender, and Kaspersky!

~SiuLing~