Thursday, June 19, 2008

How to safeguard our personal and financial data

It is important that our personal and financial data to be safeguarded. There are several ways to keep our data safely. Memorize your number and passwords. Do not write your Social Security number or passwords on paper and store them in your wallet or purse. Moreover, do not share identification numbers, passwords or PINs with other people. For example, if you shop or bank online, change the passwords regularly, sign off the Web Sites when you have finished using and only transact business over Web Sites that provide a secure connection. Furthermore, do not give your Social Security number, credit card number, or any bank account details over the phone unless you have initiated the call and know that the business that you are dealing with is reputable. Sign up for direct deposit of payroll to prevent paper checks from ending up in the wrong hands. Prior to discard a computer, make sure all personal information is deleted from its hard drive. If you have any personal or financial data stored in computer, then individual has to protect your computer security. It is better to use as many tools as you can such as anti-virus software, spyware, firewalls, and passwords to guard your computer information. When individual choosing his PIN numbers, do not choose something that is easy to remember such as birth date or child`s name. Individual is better to choose a combination of uppercase and lowercase, numbers and symbols that more secured. Review for monthly statements are to avoid any possible fraudulent charges, individual may also find legitimate charges for services that are either redundant or no longer necessary. The financial supervisory Commission said that in order to prevent their personal identification data from being used by unlawful figures for illegal uses, people should keep their receipts, bank account statements, credit card bills, or even addressed direct mail. If people want to throw away these documents as trash, they should shred them first. Shred old documents also one of the best ways to protect you against potential fraud or identity theft. A basic desktop shredder can work for a few sheets at a time.

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