Identity Theft Protection: Risk Assessment

Is your business safe from a security breach?  Let's hope so.  While your system might be secured with the latest in anti-virus software, there are many other threats that exist.  Identity theft just may be the most damaging of them all.  This crime costs many consumers, banking institutions and credit card companies billions of dollars per year.  Due to the rising amount of corporate identity theft, a business can no longer function without implementing reliable safeguards for its clients and own personal information. 

Risk Assessment and Prevention

Thanks to technology, every individual computer user and business from small to prominent is at the risk of identity theft.  The best approach to reducing the chance of this crime is to access how it may occur then develop ways to prevent it. 

Prioritize the protection of your business - It is very important to always secure the personal information of you or your clients.  This can be done by storing data on secure networks. 

Make use of an alarm - A small investment in an alarm system could save you thousands in the end.  This will make identity thieves and other criminals think twice about trying to steal your data.  You can also add extra protection by hiring a monitoring service to watch over your assets, business or home residence. 

Use sturdy locks where needed - Always keep in mind that an identity thief will go to great length to steal your information.  You can take prevention a step further by protecting the premises with durable locks, shatter proof glass and fully secured windows. 

Store data in a safe place - Personal information should never be taken for granted.  This data is very sensitive and should be treated as so. Keep essential documents in a secured filing cabinet opposed to a folder on your desk..  Store the data on a portable disk instead of on a computer left at the office. 

Carefully discard documents - Business records or personal accounts of any kind should never be simply thrown in a public trash container.  Savvy identity thieves find the information they need by dumpster diving.  Any information that is to be discarded should be placed in a shredding machine.

Remain suspicious of unsolicited calls - Many criminals attempt identity theft directly over the phone.  This is an easy way for a thief to hide their true intentions and pry information out of someone.  When an individual calls and requests sensitive information, you should never oblige without being certain of their identity. 

Keep an eye on your mail - It is very common for criminals to hawk a mail box to carry out identity theft.  If your bank statements and credit card bills are not following the routine, do not hesitate to contact the issuing services to address the problem. 

Monitoring Your Risk

With the vast amount of information that is shared on a network, identity theft has become much more probable.  It is important to follow of the necessary steps in order to the protect the integrity and identity of your business or personal matters. 

 

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A computer crash can occur at anytime and on any computer.

By backing up your files--personal documents, financial records, and digital pictures--you can ensure that you will never loose your precious and irreplaceable information.

There are many ways one can back up a computer: special equipment or online programs, which are becoming increasingly popular, can help you to create a sort of 'insurance policy' for the protection of all of your computer-based data.