Business and banking records have account numbers and social security numbers. These must be guarded. When you receive your bank statement in the mail, check it carefully. Change the PIN number often. This is the personal identification number your debit card requires. If you find an error, close out that account or change the pin number.
Hackers are persons who can obtain your passwords and private information from another computer. These computers are sometimes stolen or the old ones thrown in the trash. The hard drive is a disk that tells what ever information has been on that computer. Go to a reputable computer dealer to get your cleared or destroyed. Some criminals sell your personal information. Shared and wireless computers are most vulnerable to criminal attack. Home computers are safer.
Do not give out passwords to anyone. If some one asks you to call them, go to a public telephone and verify the number.They own scanners that copy your credit card information. Some will use it to take out a small amount of money to see how much you have in your account, then wipe it out later. These criminals are in chat rooms and social networking sites. Do not give out your drivers license number or social security number to them ever. Even the social security administration will not let you post your number on their site.
E-mail is electronic mail that comes to your computer mail. Get another e-mail account name for using the internet. Google, MSN and Yahoo offer e-mail accounts and your internet service provider gives you your main one. You may have to close out your account with your ISP if this e-mail is stolen. False web addresses and e-mails are all over the internet. They may tell you they are your place of employment and direct you to another site.
Do not open any e-mail if you are not sure who it is from. It may contain a virus that will ruin your computer, called crashing it, or slow it down. Hackers are criminals that can watch what you are doing on line. They follow your activity and hack into personal information. Firewalls protect you from hackers. Software purchased can block spam and viruses. Web addresses may be typed wrongly to look like a real site but they are not. Google, yahoo and MSN hotmail have excellent spam blocking filters. Use them.
They are not 100 per cent accurate though. So report spam which is an unwanted e-mail or one that asks for money to spam@uce.gov. Turn off your computer when not in use. It helps stop hackers and saves electricity. If you have become a victim of internet crime or suspect it, report it to http://www.ic3.gov
