Hack Proofing Your Identity In The Information Age

Hack Proofing Your Identity will provide readers with hands-on instruction for how to secure their personal information on multiple devices. It will include simple measures as well as advanced techniques gleaned from experts in the field who have years of experience with identity theft and fraud. This book will also provide readers with instruction for identifying cyber-crime and the different ways they can report it if it occurs.

Hot Topic. Hack Proofing Your Identity will provide readers with both simple and advanced steps they can take to protect themselves from cyber-crime.
Expert Advice. This book will present security measures gathered from experts in both the federal government and the private sector to help secure your personal information and assets online.
Unique Coverage. Hack Proofing Your Identity will be the only book to include security measure for multiple devices like laptops, PDAs and mobile phones to allow users to protect themselves while taking advantage of the newest ways to access the Internet.

This title presents security measures gathered from experts in both the federal government and the private sector to help secure an individual's personal information and assets online.

If you re like most people, your day includes writing checks or using a debit card at stores, using credit cards at the gas station, or using an ATM terminal to get cash. If you re among the growing numbers of Internet users, you ve probably also bought a thing or two online, and might even do your banking or trade stocks online.

If more than half of the following statements are true, you are at high risk for identity theft:

• You receive at least one loan solicitation or preapproved credit offer each week.
• You usually toss preapproved credit or loan solicitations in the trash without shredding.
• You usually toss old banking or credit documents in the trash without shredding.
• Mail is delivered to you in an unlocked mailbox.
• You send mail by placing it in an unlocked mailbox.
• You carry your Social Security or Social Insurance card in your wallet.
• Your Social Security Number is printed on the health insurance card in your wallet.
• Your Social Security Number is printed on your driver s license.
• Your Social Security or driver s license number is printed on your personal checks.
• You make occasional or frequent purchases online using a credit card.
• You seldom check whether a site is "secure" before using a credit card to make an online purchase or before disclosing private data, such as your Social Security Number, to a Web site.
• You seldom read Web site privacy policies before disclosing private information.
• Your online account with your bank, health insurer, or stockbroker uses your SSN as your account number.
• Your bank doesn t require a password before allowing you to make a withdrawal in person.
• The password for your online bank account is written down in an unlocked location.
• Your ATM PIN is written down in your wallet or on the ATM card.
• You sometimes share your name, address, e-mail address, and/or phone number with Web sites.
• You don t use privacy software to remove identifying information from your computer.
• You seldom take advantage of programs designed to opt-out of information sharing.
• You haven t seen your credit report in the past year.
• Your Internet-connected computer stores private or financial information and is not protected from the Internet by both a firewall and antivirus software.

Booknews

The rapid growth of information technology is rapidly expanding the ways in which people can become victim of identity theft. Independent security consultant Bidwell discusses ways in which people can avoid some of the more common hazards associated with computer use. Naturally, much of the advice duplicates common treatments on basic computer security. Chapters cover email privacy, covering Internet footprints and other Web defense strategies, controlling one's children's computer use, browser and firewall configuration, and what to do if one becomes a victim. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR