Marilyn Minton
Identity and password theft are on the rise and rampant worldwide. The barrage of media output is largely responsible for the public becoming aware of the alarming number of incidents that go on right under our noses, and we have become somewhat paranoid in our efforts to protect our privacy, which is why there are an abundance of applications like these here that allow you to create a database of all your passwords so you’re able to increase password length without the potential of forgetting any – therefore increasing security measures.
To paraphrase an old axiom, “It has been said that surfing the Internet now, is like skydiving without a parachute.” If you are not careful, your personal information, passwords, financial information and Social Security number can become public knowledge in a matter of minutes.
The U. S. Federal Trade Commission said it received almost 700,000 complaints in 2004, as criminals sold non-existent products through online auction sites or went shopping with stolen credit cards. Identity theft – the practice of running up bills or committing crimes in someone else’s name – topped the list with approximately 250,000 complaints, up 15 percent from the year before.
College students are perfect foils for these unscrupulous people, mainly due to the easy access in obtaining credit cards. These cards are offered without evidence that the recipient is financially stable. Students are often targeted because they are so involved in their school and social activities, they may not become aware that their credit card or passwords have been tampered with, until it is too late.
Criminals have become increasingly savvy about finding ways to spend other people’s money and open credit cards in names of others. The range of criminal methods, from script kiddies to Keyloggers and more is mind-boggling!
Script kiddies, aka “the vermin of the Internet” fancy themselves as hackers and utilize freely available programs to compromise your system via the Internet. They have caused major problems recently and have been known to post credit card numbers on the Internet for all to see, just for kicks and bragging rights.
Keyloggers or Keystroke programs are a major source for extracting personal information. These programs run in the background of computers, recording all the users’ keystrokes. Once keystrokes are logged, they are hidden within the machine for later retrieval by the thief.
A keylogger whose prime purpose is to keep users completely unaware that their computer is being violated, can involve dozens of files at a time. Trying to remove the keylogger’s program can result in damage to the operating system. Furthermore, some keyloggers can survive manual efforts to remove them and actually reinstall themselves even before the user reboots.
“The average length of time is takes to compromise a computer is less than 30 minutes,” Hal Berghel, co-director of the Las Vegas-based Identity Theft and Financial Fraud Research Center, told the Washington Post in July. Berghel advises users to avoid e-mail entrapment by withholding personal information from network communications.
He said, “If you aren’t willing to post it on your front door, don’t post it on the Internet.”
Beware of “phishing” scams. Users are baited with e-mails (phishing) that appear to be from a legitimate business such as a bank or commerce site The Anti-Phishing Work Group, an organization that tracks and fights Internet scams, estimates that between 75 million and 150 million “phishing” e-mails are sent to in-boxes every day. With the trend to always-on, high-speed connections and open wireless networks, home computers are more vulnerable than ever to a cyber invasion.
In yet another disturbing situation, serious data breaches recently placed millions of people at risk, whose personal information was lost or stolen from financial firms, universities and government offices. Mastercard International, Inc., disclosed recently that a security breach could put at risk 40 million credit card holders of all brands.
The following suggestions can protect you:
? Track debit, credit and ATM receipts. Never throw them into a public trash bin.
? Keep your eye on your debit or credit card until the merchant completes the trans-action and make sure you get your card back.
? Report lost or stolen cards or checks immediately.
? Monitor your transactions for unauthorized use.
? Check your credit reports.
? Pay attention to your billing and account statement cycles. If regular bills or state-ments stop reaching you, someone may have diverted your mail.
? Be alert for suspicious phone inquiries and e-mail hoaxes.
? Protect your Social Security number. Don’t give it out unless you know the party.
? Don’t give out personal or financial information unless you initiate the contact.
? Guard your mail from theft. Deposit mail in a post office or an official mailbox.
? Be careful online – DO NOT open files from strangers.
? Use firewall software and guard your passwords.