Today you can access almost anything on the internet, from
entertainment, credit and financial services to products from every
corner of the world. While the internet affords a certain
level of anonymity, there are increasing ways in which your
personal information can be at risk.
With awareness as your safety net, you can minimize the chance of
an Internet mishap. Being on guard online helps you protect your
information, your computer, and your money. To be safer and more
secure online, make these seven practices part of your online
routine.
Young people are especially vulnerable, as they place a great
deal of importance on developing an online personality, complete
with their personal information. While many may be savvy enough to
set up strict privacy restrictions on their profiles, it is
important that all are informed of the risks associated with
providing personal information online.
Protecting personal information
To an identity thief, personal information can provide instant
access to financial accounts, credit record, and other assets. If
you think no one would be interested in your personal information,
think again. Anyone can be a victim of identity theft.
One way criminals or hackers get personal information online is
by lying about who they are, to convince people to share account
numbers, passwords, and other information so they can purchase
things in your name. The scam is called "phishing": criminals send
email, text, or pop-up messages that appear to come from your bank,
a government agency, an online seller or another organization with
which you do business. The message asks you to click to a website
or call a phone number to update your account information or claim
a prize or benefit. It might suggest something bad will happen if
you don't respond quickly with your personal information. In
reality, legitimate businesses should never use email, pop-ups, or
text messages to ask for your personal information.
To avoid phishing scams:
- Don't reply to an email, text, or pop-up message that asks for
personal or financial information, and don't click on links in the
message. If you want to go to a bank or business's website, type
the web addresses into your browser yourself.
- Don't respond if you get a message - by email, text, pop-up or
phone - that asks you to call a phone number to update your account
or give your personal information to access a refund. If you need
to reach an organization with which you do business, call the
number on your financial statement, or use a telephone
directory
Some identity thieves have stolen personal information from many
people at once, by hacking into large databases managed by
businesses or government agencies. While you can't enjoy the
benefits of the Internet without sharing some personal information,
you can take steps to share only with organizations you know and
trust. Don't give out your personal information unless you first
find out how it's going to be used and how it will be
protected.
If you are shopping online, don't provide your personal or
financial information through a company's website until you have
checked for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on
the browser's status bar or a website URL that begins "https:" (the
"s" stands for "secure"). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof;
some scammers have forged security icons and some hackers have
managed to breach sites that took appropriate security
precautions.
Resources
Office of the Privacy Commissioner, "10 steps to
protect your information online"
Australian Communication and Media Authority,
"Disclosure of personal information"
Australian Bankers Association, list of online
crime related legislation