ONLINE ID THEFT: A REAL THREAT TO BOTH PRIVATE AND
BUSINESS USERS
Everyday, individuals and companies fall prey to well resourced
and increasingly sophisticated online attacks by members of the
criminal fraternity. By exploiting weaknesses in email
accounts, instant messaging (IM) and connections to the
Internet, they are able to trick their unwitting victims into
sending confidential personal or business information they can
be used to make money.
Every single Internet user is a potential target, and no-one is
immune to the threat. Although the tactics used by online
criminals does vary according to their requirements, the final
impact is nearly always the same - damage to individual privacy,
business revenue, and in many cases reputations leading to
compromised careers and the eventual theft of personal and
corporate identities.
Whether you are a private individual or a business user,
effective in-house acceptable use policies can be part of the
solution. However, the ultimate weapon against such
threats is the awareness and vigilance of users both private and
business alike, and represent the key to ensuring sensitive
personal and business data is properly protected.
WARNING: Recognise the risks, and understand the
consequences - Always stay on your guard.
Protect yourself and your business.
HERE ARE FIVE KEY DO'S!
DO check the identity of
anyone requesting personal or confidential information from you
online.
DO think very carefully
before submitting any personal information online.
DO check the privacy policy
of any website you submit personal data to - If it does not have
a clear and comprehensive policy, do not submit information of a
personal or confidential nature.
DO choose passwords
carefully, ensure they contain a unique mixture of letters and
numbers, and change them regularly.
DO dispose of data
securely, whether it is in paper or electronic format (includes
physical media such as computer hard drives.
HERE ARE FIVE KEY DON'TS!
DON'T click on email
attachments unless you are absolutely sure who sent them.
DON'T click on links to
websites whose legitimacy you have doubts about.
DON'T respond to emails
asking you to update or confirm account IDs, PIN numbers or
passwords.
DON'T include key personal
or business information in social networking profiles (e.g.
correct date of birth etc).
DON'T work on sensitive or
confidential material whilst connected to public WiFi Hotspots.
These lists are by no means not exhaustive, but represent the most common
ways in which the security and privacy of individuals can be
compromised by online criminals. As well as taking
precautionary action as recommended above, it is also essential
that effective Antivirus and Anti-malware software is correctly
installed on your computer, updated as often as possible and
regular scans carried out in order to prevent the intrusion of
TROJAN HORSE infections, which are responsible
for a wide-range of fake and counterfeit software
intruding into computers and being used as a weapon to extract
information of money from unsuspecting users. Visit our
System Protection page for more
advice and information on how to deal with these threats.