Guest Blogger: BOLT Explains the Dangers of International Business Travel

BOLT is Your Business Owners Liability Team. 

Their extensive graphic might just help you to understand the Dangers of International Business Travel for business owners and their employees. It is the ultimate free resource for helping to protect your business and your future against dangers abroad by understanding the very real risks you can be taking without proper protection.

Via: Bolt Insurance

Have You Been a Victim of Identity Theft?

Below is an excerpt of a helpful guide provided by Privacy Rights Clearinghouse to get your identity back.

The guide provides victims of identity theft with instructions on how to regain their financial health and who to contact for more help. You must act quickly and assertively to minimize the damage.

If you want to stay protected in the future, be sure to sign up for iDefend and let our identity specialists manage everything for you. To learn more about the 25 + resources mentioned in the guide, click here.

Identity Theft: What to Do if It Happens to You

You apply for a credit card and are turned down because of a low credit score, yet you know that you've always paid your accounts on time.

A debt collector calls to demand payment on a six-month overdue account for a credit card you have never had.

You receive a credit card in the mail that you've never applied for.

What's happening? You could be the victim of identity theft, where an imposter is using your personal information to obtain credit. Then when the thief does not pay the bills, the company itself or a debt collection company contacts you to demand payment. As a result, your credit report is likely to contain negative information about your bill-payment history, and your credit score has probably been lowered considerably, making it difficult or impossible to obtain new credit yourself.

Hackers Target USB and Other Removable Media . . . Again

Written July 19, 2010 by Joel Harrison,
INVISUS Senior Technology Analyst

The world was recently attacked by malware that installed itself through the AutoPlay feature, and it is happening again. The previous attack placed a second AutoPlay option in the window that pops up when you insert a flash drive. Clicking on the wrong one would infect the computer. This new threat attacks shortcut icons. It targets USB sticks and other removable drives.

A security advisory issued by Microsoft warns users of targeted attacks against Windows Shell (that is the main interface that Windows uses to organize the desktop and file system). The attacks work on virtually all versions of Windows and could enable a hacker to take complete control of a victim’s machine.

The attack targets the way Windows parses shortcut icons on a user’s system. Microsoft said disabling AutoPlay makes it more difficult for the attack to work. The attack can be carried out remotely through network shares or remote WebDAV shares.

As usual, make sure that the INVISUS security software on your machine is updated and running scans regularly. Do not plug in USB flash drives that you find or were given to you by someone you are unfamiliar with.

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Note: Whether your computer is at your home, church, or small business, you owe it to yourself, your family, congregation, customers, and employees to ensure that it is safe and secured from hackers and cybercriminal attacks.

Thus, I encourage you to test your PC right now by clicking on the test button in the upper, right column. After you've tested it, why not also take a moment to see if your small business is PCI compliant?

Beware of Job-Search Scammers Who Will Steal Your Information and Money, Part I of IV

If you’re looking for a job, you may see ads for firms that promise results. Many of these firms may be legitimate and helpful, but others may misrepresent their services, promote out-dated or fictitious job offerings, or charge high fees in advance for services that may not lead to a job. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new crackdown on con artists and scammers who are preying on unemployed Americans with job-placement and work-at-home scams, promoting empty promises that they can help people get jobs in the federal government, as movie extras, or as mystery shoppers; or make money working from their homes stuffing envelopes or assembling ornaments.

Visit the FTC’s Web site at www.FTC.gov
or write to the FTC at their
Consumer Response Center, Room 130,
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20580.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. Their Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Criminals and Spies Swamp Cyberworld

The following is an article written by Mr. Sebastian Smith that he published on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 online at 09:19 am ET. It presents a current state of affairs in the cybercriminal world that we are exposed to every time we go online.
_____________________

NEW YORK (AFP) – Finally the world has a hacker-proof communications device. The bad news? It's a brick in a glass case. The joke, told to a cyber conference Tuesday in New York, illustrates what top US experts describe as the dire state of online security.

"Threats today are basically not preventable," said Amit Yoran, a leading IT (Information Technology) security consultant and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of NetWitness Corporation. "There's basically no way to defend any large-scale environment today."

The spoof brick really exists -- right in the lobby of the secretive US National Security Agency, Yoran said. And that's to remind America's top cyber spooks how limited their powers really are.

Yoran described a world where hackers operate mostly with impunity, since they are rarely caught -- or extradited when found -- and at great profit. Nor are they all lone teenage computer geniuses playing for kicks.

Organized gangs and government-sponsored spies are the real threat, making cyber crime a bigger sector even than drug trafficking, he said. "It's a very complex set-up."

The gloomy diagnosis from the FBI-sponsored conference at New York's Fordham University comes when the Internet and society are becoming more integrated by the minute.

Everything from countries' military maneuvers to ordinary citizens' grocery shopping is increasingly organized online. In fact the entire US economy, White House cyber security coordinator, Howard Schmidt, told the conference, essentially rests on safe Internet facilities.

Last year saw 10 trillion dollars in online business, a figure forecast to hit 24 trillion in another decade, he noted.

Yet, incredibly, the business world has yet to grasp the threat that online thieves and vandals pose. Almost half of small businesses don't use anti-virus software and even fewer use it properly, Schmidt warned.

"There has been enough exfiltration of personal property in this country in the past years to fill the Library of Congress over and over again. So we must do more." But chasing cyber criminals is a task that can exasperate the most powerful sleuth.

"Cyber criminals are not constrained by geographic borders," said Michael DuBose, head of the computer crime section at the Department of Justice. "A Romanian hacker sitting at his kitchen table can penetrate a US network within seconds and exit just as quickly."

The hackers' "world has become a lot smaller," he added, but "they prey on what is essentially a global victim pool."

Another hurdle, according to the FBI's cyber division deputy assistant director, Jeffrey Troy, is outdated legislation, combined with the usual complications of cross-border probes.

"We need to be operating like one global law enforcement agency," he said. Instead "a lot of countries don't have laws that fit the crime... We're using laws that were written when no one even had thought of the crime."

Experts at the conference also lamented what they said was the failure of private software companies to come up with adequate defenses.

In the end, they said, all that can be done is to mitigate the problem and make the hacking business -- ranging from theft of bank details and spam advertising to espionage and terrorist sabotage -- less easy.

Gary Gagnon, from the IT security firm MITRE, joked the biggest problem was people -- "users who just can't help clicking" on infected files. But he said no one should ever feel smug about security levels. "If (hackers) are determined to get in our network, they'll get in. The odds are stacked in their favor."
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The bottomline? Please stay vigilant whenever you go online, especially when you send Comments and warning alerts encouraging your friends to send to everyone on their list.

FTC Halts International Scheme of More Than $10 Million In Unauthorized Credit and Debit Cards Charges

At the request of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a federal court has halted an elaborate international scheme that used identity theft to place more than $10 million in bogus charges on consumers’ credit and debit cards, pending a trial.

More than a million consumers were hit with one-time charges of $10 or less, and their payments were routed through dummy corporations in the United States to bank accounts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The defendants, using phony company names resembling real companies, and information taken from identity theft victims in the United States, opened in excess of 100 merchant accounts with companies that process charges to the credit and debit card accounts of consumers, according to the FTC complaint.

The FTC believes the defendants may have run credit checks on the identity theft victims first, to be sure they were creditworthy. The defendants also cloaked each fake merchant with a virtual office address near a real merchant’s location, a phone number, a home phone number for the “owner,” a Web site pretending to sell products, a toll-free number consumers could call, and a real company’s tax number found on the Internet.

The FTC alleged that with spam e-mail, the defendants recruited at least 14 “money mules” – people in the United States they paid to form 16 dummy corporations, open associated bank accounts to receive the card payments, and transfer the money overseas. The defendants used debit cards linked to these bank accounts to set up telephone service, virtual addresses, and Web sites that helped deceive the card processors, according to the complaint.

The “money mules” responded to spam e-mail pretending to seek a U.S. finance manager for an international financial services company. The FTC has not determined how the defendants obtained the stolen identities or consumers’ credit and debit account numbers. Consumers’ payments were sent to bank accounts in Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Kyrgyzstan.

None of the consumers affected by the scam had contact with any of the defendants. Most consumers either didn’t notice the charges on their bills or didn’t seek chargebacks because of the small amounts – charges ranged from 20 cents to $10. Consumers who called the toll-free numbers that appeared on their bills either found them disconnected or heard recorded messages instructing them to leave a message, but no calls were returned.

The defendants are the 16 sham companies – API Trade LLC, ARA Auto Parts Trading LLC, Bend Transfer Services LLC, B-Texas European LLC, CBTC LLC, CMG Global LLC, Confident Incorporation, HDPL Trade LLC, Hometown Homebuyers LLC, IAS Group LLC, IHC Trade LLC, MZ Services LLC, New World Enterprizes LLC, Parts Imports LLC, SMI Imports LLC, SVT Services LLC – and one or more persons who are unknown to the agency at this time. The FTC charged them with making unauthorized charges to consumers’ credit cards in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The court froze the defendants’ assets and ordered them to stop operating, pending final resolution of the case.

The Commission vote to file the complaint was 4-0. The preliminary injunction order was entered by Judge Ronald A. Guzman in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.

NOTE: The Commission authorizes the filing of a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The complaint is not a finding or ruling that the defendants have actually violated the law.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,800 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

The FTC’s Web site (www.FTC.gov) provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.

The Digital Photocopier You Use May Be Loaded with Secrets

Your Social Network Profile Might Attract Pedophiles and Predators

Future Computer Technology from Microsoft

The Days of High PC Maintenance and Repair Costs Are Gone!

At INVISUS, we provide you with significant cost savings for professional computer support services every time you need assistance. Brand name security products and computer services companies charge high per-minute or per-incident service fees anytime you need live personalized help. With the average computer requiring fixes and repairs an average of twice a year, and with security problems at an all-time high, this can hit the pocketbook hard for anyone who owns a computer today.

In fact, American consumers now spend over $4 billion every year on computer repairs including virus and spyware removals and system cleanups. This doesn't include the cost for downtime, the cost of travel to and from the repair shop, or the cost of having to purchase a new computer altogether. Increasingly, maintaining and repairing computers is costing as much as the computer itself.

It's not a question of "if" you will need professional help, it's a matter of "when".

Our service subscribers enjoy the benefit of actually saving money with our service because they don't pay the stiff price the rest of the industry charges for live help. Every security checkup, system cleanup, virus removal, spyware removal, etc. that we do for our subscribers amounts to real bottom line savings to members of the INVISUS community.

There are no per-minute costs nor per incident charges. Ever!!! Our subscribers receive unlimited service at no extra cost.

As a subscriber, you won't have to pull apart your computer, haul it down to a repair shop, and wait for days to get it cleaned up. As an added huge bonus, you'll have an English speaking, US-based technician personally helping you every time you need assistance.

We are here to help make your computer hassle-free and safe again. And we are here to save you money in the process.

So, why not take the first step by taking our free test! Just click on the red test button at the top of the right column.

What Everybody Ought to Know: Why Your Computers Need to Be Fully Protected

Here is what you will need to be fully protected on your home or business computer:

• at least five layers of overlapping security technologies and services to create a virtual fortress for your PC. Most off-the-shelf and free software offer two, or three at the most, programs. But are they overlapping when they work and when they update?
  
  
• desktop firewall to lock out hackers and other unauthorized intrusions and shield your PC from unauthorized communication both to and from your PC, making your PC virtually invisible to hackers and other intruders randomly scanning the Internet for vulnerable PCs;
  
  
• world-class anti-virus protection, including 24/7 scanning and certification that your incoming and outgoing e-mails attachments are virus-free — plus scanning of all removable media such as CDs, Zip disks, portable hard drives, and floppies;
  
  
• anti-spyware that continuously monitors, detects, and eliminates all forms of spyware, hacker tools, and malware from your PC including malicious spyware tools, adware, browser hijackers, search hijackers, keyloggers, ghost spammers, remote access tools (RATs), back doors, and many other illegal programs and applications that breach your privacy and security;
  
  
• patch management that will automatically find and fix security holes and other dangerous vulnerabilities in your computer’s operating system and software programs that hackers use to break into your computer;
  
  
• security alerts that warns you of brand new viruses, worms, and other security threats as they emerge – including specific recommendations of what to watch out for and how to avoid getting attacked to keep your privacy secured and your PC safe; and to wrap it all together,
  
  
• premium technical support that offers free unlimited expert technical support for any security related problems or issues by highly trained technicians.

Although the Internet basically provides a positive and productive experience, cyber-attacks against our personal privacy and security are reaching epidemic proportions. These attacks are occurring in our own homes and businesses. Our own computers are being used are being used as zombies to attack other people, businesses, and even our nation itself. As an average Internet user, you may not be aware of these threats nor have any idea about the dramatically increasing risks you face when connected to the Internet.

On a campaign for internet safety awareness and protection, my mission is to bring critical awareness to individuals, families, and small business owners, and to provide access to the necessary tools and ongoing expertise to secure your computer and help you stay protected.

I invite you to join the many thousands of others who have tested their computers, discovered these threats are real, and taken the necessary steps to protect their computers, their families, and their businesses.

Now that you have become aware of these issues, I encourage you to share this vital information with your families, friends and communities. Together, we can reach many millions of people and inform them about the threats to their privacy and security, and help them get the protection they desperately need.

Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose.

Test your computer now!

Part 3 of 3

What Everybody Ought to Know: Why You Need a Comprehensive Security Service Package

The Internet-based attacks on your personal privacy and security continue to worsen year after year. The future of Internet security is gloomy and it takes an extremely dedicated and savvy computer user to find the right mix of security programs and stay current with the newest threats. Internet security is not a one-time event. You cannot simply install security software on your PC and then forget about its safety and security, and ultimately, the safety and security of your family, home, and business. Internet safety and security require an ongoing, time-intensive process with a fairly high level of expertise and vigilance.

Why you need a team of security experts on your side:

Do you want to be an Internet security expert? If you are like most people, you neither want to nor have the time. You don’t want to worry about staying current with the latest technologies. You can’t possibly keep up with the all the new threats coming at you almost daily because you have better things to do with your time. Instead, most people end up relying on the opinions and recommendations of more knowledgeable friends and family members for their security needs and hope nothing bad happens. But is that the best and safest strategy?

To get maximum protection for your PC, you need an Internet security expert on your side. Better yet, you need a team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business are always safe and secure. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you want a trusted expert you can call for professional answers and solutions without any hassles and extra costs! As time goes on, it will become even more critical than it is today.

The best protection you can have in today’s rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs. Hackers will likely always be one step ahead of law enforcement and the security industry itself. Software-based protection alone, as you can see, is not enough anymore.

Of all the Internet users who have anti-virus software on their computers, 85% of them had computers that were subsequently infected with a virus or worm! Have you ever had a virus you couldn’t get rid of? Has your computer acted funny or has it slowed way down due to a massive spyware infestation? Then you see and know how dangerous and damaging these threats and risks are!

Unfortunately, for consumers seeking security and privacy protection with brand name solutions will find two extremes – complex systems they cannot afford or properly maintain, or consumer-grade technology that doesn’t provide adequate protection. If they do find something that fits their budget, it will likely have only a part of what is needed to truly protect a computer, and it won’t include free expert support and a security guarantee.

Caution: Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security thinking that the anti-virus software that came with your computer is enough protection. Off-the-shelf anti-virus software does not always protect you from attacks such as: hackers, spyware, remote access tools, Trojan horses, password crackers, keystroke loggers, identity theft tools, Microsoft security holes, hybrid viruses, and others much worst. And most people let their anti-virus program expire, thereby losing protection from everyday viruses and worms.

Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose.

Test your computer now!

End Part 2 of 3

What Everybody Ought to Know: It’s No Longer Enough to Install Off-the-shelf Security Software

Think about this: You had problems with your computer in the past. Now you want to insure that those little annoying nuisance, pests, threats, and risks from hackers and spyware don’t hide in your computer any more. So, you load up your computer with all the free and off-the-shelf security software you can find. Now, as your confidence rises, you think that your computer is as impenetrable as the gold at Fort Knox.

Wrong!!!! You have been fooled into thinking that your computer is fully protected.

Now think about this: With all the options available to you, how do you know which one offers the best protection for you, your family, or your business? Here are some questions you need to consider:

• Are you a trained computer and Internet security expert?
  
  
• Do you know exactly which security software is compatible with your system?
  
  
• Do you have the time to continually research all the latest security technologies?
  
  
• Do you know exactly which software you should install and which ones should not?

• Once installed, how do you keep the different software programs updated? In fact, how often are they updated: daily? weekly? biweekly? monthly? Are the updates free. And if so, for how long?
  
  
• If you encountered a problem that your installed security software could not fix, or you simply had a question, would you have access to free, live technical support?
  
  
• If not, what would it cost you? Would it be a one-time fee? Would it come with a warranty period? And what would it cost you when the warranty expires?

By now, I’m hoping that you’re beginning to see why it is not enough any longer to install off-the-shelf security software. There is a better option! You need a revolutionary full security service package that gives you peace of mind because its software programs work together, its technical support is always live and free, and at no additional cost.

Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose.

Test your computer now!

Taking Your Computer to the Store is So Yesterday

By Joel Harrison
INVISUS Senior Technology Analyst

There’s nothing worse than having to get down behind your desk, memorize where all the wires go, and hope you can get them all back where they belong.

Except maybe paying too much for the repair once you get it to the store.

It’s time you stopped lugging your computer around town trying to find someone to fix it and take advantage of the latest software and services that lets the technician come to you – remotely.

With the advances in technology and the tools that are available, taking your computer to the shop is becoming a thing of the past. A technician can repair the majority of your computer problems without you leaving your house or them entering.

Remote help is taking over the support industry. And with the right support team caring for your computers, you don’t need to worry about a thing. They can do everything for you.

Sure, having to take your computer to the tech shop may still be warranted in some rare occasions, but you should always call for remote support first to see if they can get you up and running.

With just a phone call and a couple of clicks of the mouse, a technician can be connected to your computer to diagnose and repair errors and even clean off all the viruses and spyware.

Just sit back, relax, go get some dinner, and let the [INVISUS] technicians do everything for you. Ah, the beauty of remote support.

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Note: Whether your computer is at your home, church, or small business, you owe it to yourself, your family, congregation, customers, and employees to ensure that it is safe and secured from hackers and cybercriminal attacks.

Thus, I encourage you to test your PC right now by clicking on the test button in the upper, right column. After you've tested it, why not also take a moment to see if your small business is PCI compliant?

Fight Scammers with Scammer Alert Images

Like me, individuals, businesses, and organizations across the Internet are sick and tired of being victims of scammers and hackers and are fighting back.

I've added graphics from their sites with the intention of encouraging you to fight back, too. I further encourage you to post similar graphics on your websites or social networking profiles.

Beneath each graphic I've placed a link to the source. Be sure to view what they have to say.

Courtesy of KTVO News.

Courtesy of ESL Teachers Board

Courtesy of Subtle Particle.

Courtesy of The Scam Team, which was formed by a group of international trade and Internet communications experts. They are based in a little Spanish city called Palencia.

Courtesy of Champ Bulldogs.

Courtesy of PRNewsChannel.com.

Courtesy of the FBI and Central National Bank.

Courtesy of Nevada Fight Fraud.

Courtesy of PigBusters.net.

Karen Lodrick, Leading Nationwide Consumer Advocate for ID Theft Protection

Watch Karen's story on Good Morning America about how her identity was stolen, and how she caught (literally) the thief on the streets of San Francisco.

Improved Changes for You, Your Family, and Your Business!

Personal Computer Services for Home and Family:

Our personal computer services simplify your life and protect you against Internet predators and cyber-crime. Our expertise is in eliminating headaches and hassles with your computer, and saving you time and money. With our popular monthly service plans, you've got unlimited access to all the expert help you need - for one low monthly fee.

Try our monthly service plans with a 30 Day RISK-FREE TRIAL!

You've got two great plans to choose from:

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Total care for your computer to keep it safe, reliable and running like new. Professional grade protection, plus full system tune-up, optimization, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair for virtually any computer problem.

Professional Computer Services for Small Businesses:

You need multiple layers of protection to truly secure your business computers. Anti-virus is not enough. Our home office, INVISUS, offers a comprehensive suite of products to lock your systems down to keep your information's integrity intact.

Try our services RISK-FREE with our 30-day money-back guarantee!

You've got three great plans to choose from:

* iSafe Pro Service Plan

A comprehensive, maximum protection, professional computer security service plan for your business. Gives you maximum protection against cyber-crime and fraud for the digital age.

Affordable protection your business requires, and the security you and your customers deserve.

* iCarePro

Total care for your business computers to keep them safe, reliable, and running like new. You get Maximum Protection and Total Care of your computers.

Take your iSafePro protection to the next level and never worry again about computer problems or downtime! Get unlimited expert help from our certified INVISUS technicians who will troubleshoot and resolve virtually ALL your computer problems over the phone or through a secure remote connection.

* InfoSafe Service Plan

Information Security Compliance! An industry first! Makes it easy for you to get and keep your business compliant with federal, state, and industry data security laws and regulations.

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Backed by InfoSafe Services and Certification, you can be confident that you are compliant with industry standards and best practices for information privacy and security.

Click on banner for more information.

Looking at Fraud from the Inside Out

In this video a convicted business opportunity scam artist takes you behind the scenes so you can learn the tricks he used to cheat people out of their money.

He also instructs you about what questions you must ask in order to help you determine if a business opportunity is a scam or the real deal.

Video is courtesy of the US Federal government.

Some Safe Practices for Computer Security, According to the Federal Government

Access to information and entertainment, credit and financial services, products from every corner of the world — even to your work — is greater than ever. Thanks to the Internet, you can play a friendly game with an opponent across the ocean; review and rate videos, songs, or clothes; get expert advice in an instant; or collaborate with far-flung co-workers in a "virtual" office.

But the Internet — and the anonymity it affords — also can give online scammers, hackers, and identity thieves access to your computer, personal information, finances, and more.

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 practices part of your online routine.

Visit FTC.gov/idtheft to learn what to do if your identity is stolen or your personal or financial information has been compromised – online or in the "real" world.

How do criminals get your personal information online? One way is by lying about who they are, to convince you to share your account numbers, passwords, and other information so they can get your money or buy 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 address 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.

Learn what to do in an e-mergency.

If you suspect malware is lurking on your computer, stop shopping, banking, and other online activities that involve user names, passwords, or other sensitive information. Malware could be sending your personal information to identity thieves.

Confirm that your security software is up-to-date, then use it to scan your computer. Delete everything the program identifies as a problem. You may have to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

If the problem persists after you exhaust your ability to diagnose and treat it, you might want to call for professional help. If your computer is covered by a warranty that offers free tech support, contact the manufacturer. Before you call, write down the model and serial number of your computer, the name of any software you've installed, and a short description of the problem. Your notes will help you give an accurate description to the technician.

If you need professional help, if your machine isn't covered by a warranty, or if your security software isn't doing the job properly, you may need to pay for technical support. Many companies — including some affiliated with retail stores — offer tech support via the phone, online, at their store, or in your home. Telephone or online help generally are the least expensive ways to access support services — especially if there's a toll-free helpline — but you may have to do some of the work yourself. Taking your computer to a store usually is less expensive than hiring a technician or repair person to come into your home.

Once your computer is back up and running, think about how malware could have been downloaded to your machine, and what you could do to avoid it in the future.

Also, talk about safe computing with anyone else who uses the computer. Tell them that some online activity can put a computer at risk, and share practices for safer computing.

Where to report hacking or a computer virus:

Alert the appropriate authorities by contacting:

• Your ISP and the hacker's ISP (if you can tell what it is). You can usually find an ISP's email address on its website. Include information on the incident from your firewall's log file. By alerting the ISP to the problem on its system, you can help it prevent similar problems in the future.


• The FBI at www.IC3.gov. To fight computer criminals, the FBI needs to hear from you.

Get more in-depth information from
www.OnGuardOnline.gov.

The Biggest Misconceptions about Identity Theft

Don't be fooled by the misleading ads and false promises for preventing Identity Theft!

Here's what you really need to know.

There is a great deal of misinformation floating around the internet, and on TV, radio, etc. these days about protecting yourself from identity theft.

Here's a reality check:

Can you actually prevent identity theft?

The answer is "No"! But there are some things you can do to keep thieves from stealing your personal information from your home, your garbage, your computer, etc. (For example, be sure you shred all your bills and other papers with personal information.)

The reality is that identity thieves can find your personal information in many places (as shown above) that are out of your control. So while you can't actually prevent your identity from getting stolen, you can protect yourself against the devastating consequences of identity theft. This is why you need true identity theft protection with iDefend.

Credit fraud is only ONE TYPE of identity theft.

In fact, 67% of identity theft cases involve criminal fraud in other areas besides loans, credit cards, etc. While having loans or credit taken out in your name is a serious problem, most identity theft cases (true identity theft) are discovered in areas like:

• Social Security benefits fraud;
• Medical benefits fraud;
• Checking accounts;
• Criminal records;
• Bankruptcy;
• 401k theft;
  
• Tax fraud;
• and more . . .
  

For more information, click here.