Don't Let Data Theft Happen to You
posted by:Rafal Morek // 09:55 AM // July 02, 2005 // Digital Identity Management
M.P. Dunleavey never expected to become a victim. In his article in the New York Times, he admits that maybe he should have. Companies like Citigroup, Bank of America, ChoicePoint and LexisNexis have lost, misplaced or otherwise exposed the personal information of tens of millions of people. Dunleavey offers the following tips to protect yourself:
- Curtail electronic access to your bank accounts. Pay bills through snail mail. Avoid linking your checking to savings. Use a credit card for purchases rather than a debit card.
- Protect your home computer with a firewall, especially if you have a high-speed connection.
- Restrict the access to your personal data by signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry (www.donotcall.gov); remove your name and address from the phone book and reverse directories - and, most important, from the marketing lists of the credit bureaus to reduce credit card solicitations. The site www.optoutprescreen.com can help.
- Consider freezing your credit report, an option available in a growing number of states. Freezing prevents anyone from opening up a new credit file in your name (a password lets you gain access to it), and it doesn't otherwise affect your credit rating.
- Rein in your Social Security number. Remove it from your checks, insurance cards and driver's license. Ask your bank not to use it as your identification number. Refuse to give your Social Security number to merchants, and be careful even with medical providers.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.blogonnymity.com/powerblog/mt-tb.cgi/81
