Identity Theft Articles

The best identity theft protection is not a software package that protects you from Spyware infestation. But the best identity theft protection in the first place is you!

What does that mean, well the best Spyware protection software is not going to be much helpful if you do not handle your personal privacy carefully?

It means you have to first think about these 7 questions:

1. How am I handling all kind of paper documents like bank statements and bills that I receive daily from the mailman?
2. What does somebody need from me if he wants to abuse my personal credentials to get a loan, or a false drivers license, or a mortgage, all on my name?
3. Where do I keep my passport and drivers license while I am asleep?
4. Can a pickpocket steal these things easy from me when I am shopping?
5. Can a burglar steal my home computer or my notebook from my car?
6. And if that is possible, is my private data safe, or can everybody find and read it without any problem?
7. What would be the consequences for me and my family if somebody did steal my Identity?

.

There are at least 4 things you need to do, or have to organize:

1. Take care of your personal documents, especially if they contain some private facts like your address, bank account numbers, and social security number.
   • Use a personal safe for all documents to keep.
   • Use a shredder for private documents that you don’t need anymore, DO NOT put it in the garbage can.
2. Instruct your family members to be careful also with these things.
3. Protect every computer in your home that has private data on it, especially if it is connected to the Internet.
   • That means protection by setting up a firewall, that is the front door that keep intruders out, and prevent those that are already in to communicate with their makers who are somewhere on the internet.
   • Installing the best possible software that detects, prevents and eliminates Spyware.
   • Installing the best possible software that detects, prevents and eliminates Viruses, Worms, Trojans, and Root kits.
   • Install software that is able to create a special drive partition or map where you can store this private data with at least 128 bits encryption so nobody can read this without your secret password.
   • Of course you need to protect your computer / notebook with a secret Windows login username and password.
4. If you have done all this, than there is still one thing to consider: Every protection can be broken with enough time and tools invested in this course. Therefore it is a good idea to take some insurance in case this might happen in spite of all your precautions. The change that this will happen will be much lower but it is still possible.
   • Insurance means you have some agency who takes all kind of precautions with these credit bureaus placing credit alerts etc.
   • They do that periodically.
   • Have your name cleared from all kind of junk mail lists, and pre-approved credit card lists.
   • If you lose your wallet, they take care of all the hassle.
   • They do a lot more, saving you a lot of trouble and work to reclaim your good name and undo all the wrongdoings of those thieves.
   • If they have to go to court for you to solve any problem they will have a large budget to spend for lawyers etc. and it cost you only a small amount of money each year.