In addition to securing paper-based personal information, ensure further security by doing the following in phone, computer, or web transactions:

• Use other identifiers when speaking with financial or credit institutions: Although it is common practice for companies to ask for your SSN as an identifier during a service call, you can request that they use other information to identify you in a phone transaction.

• Set up passwords on all of your accounts: Make sure your passwords do not include identification or social security numbers, your date of birth, or other typical identifiers like your mother’s maiden name. It is best to use both letters and numbers, and even add case-sensitive elements to increase security. You can also request that the passwords be used in any transaction, whether in a branch location, or over the phone.

• Initiate contact to your financial or credit institutions, or other agencies: Do not give information over the phone to solicitors, or answer financial/credit offers or requests for personal information in email (including clicking on links within an email offer). If you have questions that refer to your personal information, initiate all contact, whether by you calling your institutions or agencies by phone, sending them an email, or going directly to their website or local branch. Additionally, consider opting out of financial or credit offers generated by review of credit file.

• Use firewall, spyware and virus protection software, and keep it up to date. This will prevent intrusions and viral or spyware attacks to your computer while you are on the internet. Additionally, regularly check for updates to counter new malware.

• Check for browser and website security standards: This will ensure information you are sending through web-based transactions is secure and free from view by unrelated visitors

• Avoid keeping financial, credit, or personal information on your computer: The FTC suggest that all sensitive information should not be stored directly on your computer’s hard drive. If this is necessary, ensure that your password is strong (see above information of setting account passwords), and that you are not using the same password(s) used for your accounts. Additionally, if you are replacing an old computer, make sure all information is deleted from its hard drive before you dispose of it.

If you haven’t done so already, also ensure that all of your paper-based personal information is secure, whether in storage or disposal. Please see “Paper-based Identity Theft Prevention” for more information.

References

Federal Trade Commission: Facts for Consumers: Taking Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. How Many Identity Theft Victims are There? What is the Impact on Victims?