identity theft is on the rise and is a serious threat. The attachment can cost up to several thousand dollars, not counting the many hours necessary to repair the damage. Digging in the subjects of data and identity theft, and more importantly, how to prevent it!
What is identity theft
A report by the US Department of Justice defines identity theft as:
"misuse or successful attempt an existing account as a debit or a credit account, the misuse of personal information to open a new account, or misuse of personal information for other fraudulent purposes, such as obtaining government benefits. "
data and identity theft in number
Just to understand the seriousness of it, here are some statistics on identity theft online:
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there were 16.6 million identity theft in the US in 2012.
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personal data breaches have increased 20% in 2014.
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The mean loss of identity theft was $ 1,769, for a total of US $ 18B stolen in 2013.
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50% of victims take a day to fix it. It took nearly 33% of victims of a month or more.
As you can see, there is a great and serious threat. There are many scams out there to get your personal information, which can then be used against you.
The types of identity theft
There are many ways for cybercriminals to access your private data. Some of the most common include:
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cybercriminals intercept your Internet connection - especially on public access points,
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with a public computer that is infected with malware,
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phishing, so you click on a malicious link in an email or a web site and hand over your personal data
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man-in- the-middle attacks
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using vulnerabilities in the software of your devices.
A Department of Justice found that the majority of identity theft victims suffer from unauthorized use or attempted use of a credit card account. The second most common crime after identity theft is the misuse or attempted misuse of a bank account, such as a debit, checking or savings account. It is advisable to frequently keep an eye on all your accounts. See if your bank offers SMS notification in real time of any expenses incurred on your accounts, at least it keeps you alert
medical identity theft has also been on the rise lately, with nearly half a million people in the United States last year. On average, they cost victims $ 13.500 including paying bills incurred in their name and pay legal fees. A fifth of victims had even added false information to their records by impostors such positive doping tests, which cost their career opportunities. The case takes an average of 0 hours to resolve - 8 days, you can use a much more fun way
There are also many ransomware there to watch. They left a encrypt files striker on your computer and hold ransom until you pay to have them decrypted. It costs a few hundred dollars on average to open your files and it is virtually impossible to track criminals because they hide behind multiple layers of encryption. And if you do not pay - well, they can do whatever they want with your data - either sell it, destroy it or use it for identity theft
Precautions to avoid identity theft
1. Keep an eye on your accounts
As mentioned above, but worth repeating: take a time to look time on your balances and keep abreast of all odd expenses. If you spot something suspicious, contact your bank directly to avoid other charges.
2. Use strong and different passwords
Be sure to use alphanumeric passwords difficult because they are much harder to break. change from time to time, and make sure not to use the same password for all your accounts. In addition, the pass word protect all your devices if they get lost, this way any finder can not access your accounts or private data. Learn more about password security here
3. Use anti-malware and firewall
This will help you prepare for any malicious attacks that attempt to steal your data. It is also important that you have the latest versions of all drivers, OS, anti-malware and browsers because they are frequently updated to fix security vulnerabilities
4. Do not open or click on fish emails, Web sites or popups
Be careful with e-mails you open and clicking on links or attachments - they may contain viruses. Ditto for web Fish. And oh, those pop ups that say your computer has been infected and you need to download their virus? Close them directly! All the above are common examples of phishing, where the cyber criminal lures to share your private information with them, often ask your bank details and others.
5. Take precautions when using public hotspots
We have said again and again, but it's damn important. You need to protect your connection when using public hotspots, if someone else on the same network can intercept your data and even connect to all accounts you are currently connected. Learn more about how to stay on public hotspots safe
6. Encrypt your connection with a VPN
Wherever you are, always use SaferVPN when connecting to the Internet to get an extra layer of security. He scrambles and encrypts all your data, making it impossible for anyone trying to follow you decipher what you do online. With 256-bit encryption, it has the same security that banks use to secure all your banking online! SaferVPN prevent identity theft attempts by all your private data to snoops can not access
Get SaferVPN plane now to stay safe and protect your identity. You are of course more than welcome to try your before purchasing
If you have additional helpful tips on preventing online identity theft, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts. Any comment below
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