What's the first situational image that's created in your head when you think of Identity Theft? I can picture a stressed, busy, and overwhelmed adult rushing to the grocery store to purchase several last items for a rushed dinner. In the fiasco of this process the adult is on his phone making phone calls from the work office to his inpatient wife waiting to complete dinner. Then, he's finally at the register pays for his items but when bagging his items he accidently leaves his wallet on the side counter. The next customer picks up the wallet with so much personal information and slips it into his pocket. For the next several months the hardworking adult continues to receive alerts from his bank and credit cards asking him to verify payments in which he didn't spend. This is an example of a traditional physical identity theft; but times have certainly CHANGED. Now a days theft isn't just in physical matter but digitally as well. Some examples we should AVOID, it's the locations where Online Identity Theft can occur are: * Piracy Websites * Online Shopping * Phishing Emails * Fake/ Imitated websites * Password/Login hacks * Unsecured computers & networks (wifi) Who's likely to be a VICTIM? Many individuals believe that Identity Theft only occurs when somebody is successful and paying bills! Well, this isn't close to being true: as a matter fact there's a huge impact of Identity Theft against younger kids. Younger children with no credit history at all are more likely to "cyber attacks". Before these children learn to eat or speak correctly they're already suffering from some type of identity theft. It is nearly unimagenable to think that a theif has stole your toddlers kids identity. Parents should be AWARE of and AVOID:
It's tremendously important that parents not only monitor their personal information but also their children's. Parents are advised to store their children's identity files away in a safe, secure, and reliable place. With technology becoming more essential for everyday life this precaution should be taken seriously! OUR TECHNOLOGY AND WORLD IS CHANGING: TECHNOLOGY IS AN EVERYDAY CONSUMPTION. YES. TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT BUT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN WITH PRECAUTION ESPECIALLY WHEN BEING ONLINE AND INTERCONNECTED WITH DEVICES. AMERICANS HAVE BECOME ATTACHED TO THEIR PHONES: START OFF BY USING THEM AS MORNING ALARM CLOCKS TO WORK EMAILS EVENTUALLY CALENDAR DATES. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR TEACHERS IN THE LAUSD THE NEW COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS NEEDS INSTRUCTORS TO START IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY. "The average adult is awake for 15 hours and 45 minutes every day and 45 per cent of that time is spent using a proliferation of technology."
Malware- There are two common classifications for the different types of Malware. The two types of Malware are Viruses and Worms. There are further similiar virus content which are refered to as Trojans and Bots. Malware has a tendency to try and creep up on a system. Some Malware is hidden in "...browser popup ads), to stealing confidential information or money, destroying data, and compromising and/or entirely disabling systems" (Cisco). These websites are created to confuse users and lead them to bogus websites that'll mirror a popular website to steal personal usernames and passwords. Like the unsecured http website of google to the right. Viruses- Is a type of malware that attaches itself to popular programs and clones it self into other files and computers depending on the severity. Viruses like to attach itself to common programs and are usually labeled with a .zip extension: which means you have to actually allowed the download to occur then it spreads just as a full blown cold would. The Viruses are transfered by USB, email attachments, and file sharing. At times it won't build harm to your physical system but it will begin to delete important common files nearly destroying your operating system. Worms- Just like Viruses Worms replicate and create duplicate copies that cause the same type of damage. On the other hand, the worms don't need no help from the computer user but instead target victims through some type of "social engineering" scheme or document that's sent or attached to a disk. Trojans- A trojan is another type of malware that looks very legit but is an actual scam and immitation. This type of Malware needs to be approved by the user and if it's approved then it will irritate the user in different methods such as: *Pop ups *deleting files *Stealing Data *Spreading other Malware such as Viruses "Trojan is another type of malware named after the wooden horse the Greeks used to infiltrate Troy" We've all heard a friend say "I have a MAC and MAC's don't get viruses they're immune to Viruses". Unfortunately, for your friend this is FALSE! Mac's have always been referred to as the "virus- free" platform: although this may be somewhat true this is a myth. To explain it as simple as possible: think about Windows as a whole. How many computer brands run windows? Lenovo, Dell, Hp, and Asus, the list goes on and on. Viruses need to be written just like a program would and need to be written correctly for the right operating system. Overall, there are more humans on windows machines than there are humans on MAC machines. How many computer brands run OS X operating system? 1. Apple Macintosh. This is why it's less likely to obtain a virus from a MAC: but not 100 percent safe from it.
Huge businesses and companies all rather invest on Windows since it's compatible with other partners especially in the business world. There are an increase in market share with MacOsX operating systems as this number continues to grow the higher the chances are of viruses affecting Macs will occur. Although, Macs are moderately safer that doesn't mean that they will always be that safe. Refer to the target of Market of Viruses in August 2011. Once a virus attack has been active into your computer there are numerous of problems your system and any information stored on your system is vulnerable to. "556 million cyber attack victims annually" (Norton AntiVirus) thats roughly 46.3 million victims of cyber attacks monthly. It's obvious that there are a substantial amount of unprotected systems on unsecured networks monthly, daily, and hourly. There are many accredited antivirus/ spamware/ malware services that can offer a reasonable price. Remember, the last option anybody needs is to be a victim of online digital theft. Refer to links on the Antiviruses below for reasonable prices. Keep in mind: Its better to pay roughly $40- $60 dollars a year then to be a cyber victim and possibly and identity victim for the rest of your LIFE! Online shopper? Create pay pal accountOnline shoppers who can't help it but have to online shop have been using a secure way to do so. PayPal accounts have grown in personel and business inquires. PayPal is secure because of its technology, experience, and privacy. Creating a PayPal account will help keep all your information encrypted and refrain the user from constantly inputting credit care information which can put your card numbers a high risk for digital identity theft. Click on the PayPal image below to be located directly to the official PayPal website.
Unfortunately, If you are a victim to Identity Theft there's no need to worry. They're certain precautions and steps to take when dealing with any type of Identity Theft. It's very important if your are a victim, you must create anIdentity Theft Report which gives the victim correct steps to recover from the theft. Filing an Identity Theft Report can help you deal with debt collectors, credit report companies, and businesses who opened up credit cards with thieves under your information. This report will guide and help you:
Creating a report is simple
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AuthorJuan. M. Gutierrez Archives |