By Sorilbran Stone
Come on. Were you really surprised at the recent security breach perpetrated on A-Listers and politicians? If you haven’t heard, reports began surfacing Tuesday that personal and financial information of certain public figures – including Jay-Z, Beyonce and even our own First Lady – somehow ended up on a Russian website. Surprised? Probably not. Perhaps a better word is concerned – because if FLOTUS can be hacked, it would probably be no sweat for a hacker to decipher your less-than-inscrutable online banking password. Thinking… maybe using your daughter’s birth date backward is not as genius as you initially thought.
So how do you keep your confidential information confidential? Here are a handful of tips.
Don’t be lazy about your passwords. The human brain is fully capable of memorizing two new passwords every three months. Don’t create passwords using any information someone can find out about you by looking at your Facebook profile, including your kids’ names, spouse’s birthday, anniversary, or high school mascot.
Use complex pass codes AND passwords. You can use easy-to-remember passwords for some accounts, but anything connected to your bank account should be protected by a complex alpha-numeric pass code. That includes pass codes for online banking, Paypal, Amazon and eBay accounts, utility accounts, cell phone carriers, and even your reloadable Starbucks card. Always have at least two passwords operating at any given time – one password to protect non-financial accounts and another, more complex password to protect your money.
Manually type in the URLs for sites containing your sensitive information. If you need to pay a bill, type the address to the service provider’s site directly into your toolbar. If an unexpected email lands in your inbox from your bank or another service provider, avoid clicking any links contained on that page. Spoof (fake) emails land in your inbox looking and sounding official. In fact, just last week, Paypal’s phones were jammed with reports of anonymous spoof emails sent to various Paypal account holders. Spoofs usually ask for sensitive personal information or login information for one or more of your accounts. If you think you may have received an email from your bank, make a call. To respond online, open a new window in your browser and type in the URL to your online banking account and log in. It’s a much safer route.
Use a secure connection. If you are ever going to access anything personal, including your email, use a secure connection. It may be faster to take a quick look at your email using the free Wi-Fi connection at the local coffee shop, but it is safer to use your own secure mobile broadband connection instead. Many smartphones are equipped with their own hotspot function. If your phone doesn’t have hotspot capabilities, pay ten or twenty bucks a month for a secure mobile broadband connection. It’s worth it.
Monitor your credit. Take advantage of the monitoring services provided by your bank. Set up your account so that you are automatically alerted when your account information changes, or when “card not present” purchases are made online or by phone, or when ATM withdrawals are made. Many banks will text or email you this information. Request an annual copy of your consumer banking report from ChexSystems to make sure no rogue accounts are connected to your name. You can also register for credit monitoring services with one or more of the three credit reporting agencies. Each will inform you of any new credit inquiries, credit accounts and changes in your credit score.
Consider enrolling in an identity theft protection program. In some ways, the companies that offer these programs act as sort of an identity insurance company, notifying you immediately of any activity with your personal / financial information. They may also provide added services like monitoring black market websites where fake identities are bought and sold and acting on your behalf to help recover what’s been lost if you are a victim of identity theft. Most of these services are available for about $20 per month.
Make no mistake; you won’t be able to completely forego having to monitor your personal and financial information. But spend just a few minutes talking to an ethical hacker and you will soon find out when it comes to your personal information, it’s not hard for a total stranger to slide into your personal business unnoticed and wreak a little havoc on your credit, pocket book and peace of mind. Tis always better to be proactive than reactive.
Photo credit: Man – Shutterstock, Michelle Obama - K2 images / Shutterstock.com
