Online Identity Theft Is On The Rise, Use These Tips To Help Protect Your Identity Online
These days, criminals are becoming more tech savvy & sophisticated, unfortunately, sometimes we make their job alot easier. After all, “password” “123456” are still the most widely used security passwords on the Internet according to WebDaily.
Now that handheld devices are an integral part of our daily existence, more and more people are storing their whole lives on their phones and tablets. According to the info graphic below, created by NextAdvisor, 62% of smartphone owners don’t protect their devices with a lockscreen password. Without it, whoever gets their hands on your smartphone might be able to access your work info, social, family, or even bank account information. Also, because of social media, we are sharing information 200% more than what we did just 12 years ago according to MetaLife. It is extremely important to be careful what we share on the web. Many online services require us to provide personal details to reset passwords or update account status, but remember watch this very carefully.
*Security Tip: Whenever entering personal information, or conducting a payment transaction online, always look for the https:// in the address bar of the website. The S represents Secure or Secure Socket Layer (SSL). This is a high encryption layer used for online password and data protection. If you don’t see the https://, stay away and contact the site administrator, hackers could have exposed loopholes in the security filters.
Here are some stats & easy tips you can use to protect yourself from ID Theft on your mobile device, and online.
