When it comes to some of the big fears we have in our modern society, a quick scan of media headlines will reveal terrorism and natural disasters are at the top of our minds when it comes to serious threats. Also ranking highly in would be identity theft and our privacy online.
Now that the internet really has become an integral part of our daily communications, more and more information is available to public scrutiny. Outside of online profiles and social media, there are also concerns about security breaches that release private information to the public, leaving our online identities privy to marketers, stalkers and thieves.
There are a number of ways an individual can safeguard his or her online presence against identity theft. Here are a few precautions:
1. Privacy settings - first and foremost, checking your Facebook privacy settings should be at the top of your to-do list. As the ever popular social network has grown to 500 million members, it seems that every moment of your life can be captured and stored online. Facebook has been dealt some heavy handed blows in regards to user privacy and the amount of information the network shares with third party applications. Read the privacy settings thoroughly and make sure you understand the implications of leaving your profile open to "everyone".
2. Safeguard financial information - be sure you shred and destroy sensitive information especially any financial information that can be linked to you. This includes bank statements, pre-approved credit applications, small business computer finance information if you're a business owner and any other documents that could provide identity thieves with information that they could use to make an application in your name.
3. Be wary of your surroundings - many identity thefts target individuals physically rather "hacking" the information from online resources. Be wary of who's around when you type in your pin number at a cash machine. Look out for laptop thieves who use information on your machine such auto-fill capabilities on forms to gain access to your information.
4. Clear information from public computers - make sure you log out of your private accounts such as bank account details and emails accounts. If you hire a computer, are given one for work or are issued a loaner laptop to replace a lost or stolen machine, be sure to clear all of your personal information before you return the computer to the lender or company.
If you become aware of your identity being compromised, act quickly to alert relevant parties of the breach including financial institutions such as your bank and credit card companies. You may also need to contact other institutions that could be affected such as the ATO, any relevant medical institutes or your place of work. You should also a fire a report with the police and keep a careful log of your activities such as relevant phone calls should legal action be required.
