With so many people using the Internet, it is important that you keep your identity and the identity of your business as safe as you possibly can. The Internet is a great place to promote your business, create awareness for your brand, and connect with you customers. However, there are a few bad seeds out there that can ruin it for everyone; there are many individuals looking for a way to hack into your computer and important documents to find out your personal or business information. In order to ensure that your online identity is safe, it is important to take proper security measures and avoid dealing with the hassle of fraud.
Business Identity Theft
Your brand and business information unfortunately can be used to exploit others if your accounts get hacked. We've all seen the news articles of politicians and actors whose Twitter accounts get hacked. Large amounts of their followers get duped into following links where their passwords and online accounts are stolen. Imagine how devastating this could be to your company should your accounts get hacked!
Basic Protection
Identity theft is one major problem that Internet users to face today. At any given moment, when using the Internet, your computer could end up downloading a virus, some sort of spyware, and even that unwanted spam, which can pose a potential risk for your computer and for your online identity. You have to protect your computer with the right type of software, which includes purchasing anti-virus software, firewall protection, and protection against spyware. You do not want any third-parties logging into your computer and getting important information that you have for yourself or for your business.
Phishing
There are currently a lot of "phishing" scams, in which websites trick you into thinking you are on a certain website but you are actually on one that looks nearly identical to the website you were trying to visit. The purpose of these phishing websites is to trick you into putting in your personal or business account information, which is then used by hackers who are interested in stealing your credit card information or any private information for their own benefit. Avoid responding to e-mail messages that ask for your credit card information. When in doubt, always call the companies you are working with to double check before entering your personal and private information.
Avoid Scams like The Plague
Unfortunately, there are plenty of scams on the Internet. If you feel as though you are being asked a little too much about yourself or your business or something you are reviewing or have received seems a little far-fetched, do your research. Often times, you can easily use a search engine to find out whether or not an e-mail message or website is a scam. It is important to always take precaution when operating online because that is the single-handed best way to avoid problems and protect your online identity. In short, if you are being asked for your account information, pause and confirm the identity of the requester.
Two-Step Verification
When available, set up two-step verification for your accounts. This requires you to login and verify through a second device - such as your mobile phone - that you intend to log in on that particular computer. Google and Facebook both offer two-step verification and other social media sites are also in the process of creating a two-step verification. PayPal even gives its users the option of using a credit card that generates a new number with the push of a button on the front of the card. Everytime you log in to PayPal, it will ask you to push the button and enter the number that the card generates.
With so much at stake with stolen identity, it is best to be as cautious as possible. Never put off paying for and renewing your computer's anti-viral software. If Google warns you that a page may not be what it appear to be, avoid it. A stolen personal or business identity is never an easy problem to overcome. So play it as safe as possible when it comes to your online interactions. After all, it's always better to be safe than sorry.