With more and more activities moving online – banking, social networking, and shopping, to name a few – there are more opportunities for somebody with malicious intent to steal your information. Your identity can be stolen in a number of different ways.
If you’re in a public place, somebody may be able to look over your shoulder and see you entering personal information, for example. Always be aware of your surroundings when entering personal information online, as it is very easy for somebody who is casually glancing around to notice which keys you are pressing to enter your password.
Another common way to steal somebody’s identity is through phishing schemes, which trick users into entering personal data with the promise of some fake prize. That user’s information could then be sold to an advertising agency. Or, worse, it could be used to fake your identity online.
On that note, simply going to a malicious site may be enough to track your personal information. How many times have you seen a Facebook logo on sites around the internet? If you enter your login information into some of these sites, you may never be able to access your account again.
To prevent identity theft from happening to you, consider investing in a comprehensive PC security solution. These programs will often alert you when you’re about to enter personal information into a shady website, or have alerts pop-up when a website is trying to perform malicious activities. If you can spot online identity theft threats early, you will drastically improve your safety on the internet.