One of the chief concerns among Internet users is knowing that their privacy is safe and that the computers and personal information are secure from internet security threats. As more personal business is completed online, including shopping, travel planning, blogging, paying bills, web surfing, and sending E-mail and instant messages, Internet users are more and more likely to send confidential information online. Most Internet users enter their address, telephone number, bank account number, or credit card number as they participate in e-commerce without thinking twice. However, it’s essential to safeguard this information and make sure that confidential information stays out of the wrong hands.

Most Internet users assume that the information they search for online and the personal information they enter is private. There are several factors to be aware of when using the Internet that call internet privacy into question, including:

• Cookies: Cookies are a tool used to track a users web surfing. When a user visits a website, that site’s server receives the request for information, and sends the web content to the user’s computer. The user computer stores cookies on the hard drive without the knowledge or permission of the user. The information stored on cookies can be as simple as the name of a website, and as complex as credit card numbers to help automatically fill out forms later. Cookies have useful functions, such as helping web pages load faster, but it’s important to be aware that messages are sent between user computers and servers without the consent of the Internet user.
• Internet Service Providers: Because the only way to get online is through a provider of Internet service, everything you do online can potentially be logged by your ISP. Your provider should have information on how they protect your privacy.
• Data Logging: Many computers are set up to log all computer activity, which could risk a user’s privacy if the information got into the wrong hands through outside access to your computer.
• Spyware: Spyware enters a user computer without warning or permission to monitor activity and steer advertising and other web content toward the user. Spyware is more than a nuisance that hinders computer performance; it can gather and transmit potentially confidential information to third parties.

There are several reasons why other individuals, companies, or even computer programs would want to violate your Internet privacy. In some cases the goal is to target advertising tailored specifically for your interest. In others, people may be trying to steal your information for their personal gain. In today’s ago of information, information is power.

Protecting your computer and your personal information by changing passwords regularly, using effective anti-virus software, using only websites that have taken precautions to ensure your privacy, and screening your system regularly for potentially harmful activity is the only way to safeguard your Internet Privacy. The Internet is an amazing tool, but it can also be dangerous if users fail to take steps to protect themselves.

One of the crimes getting more attention than many others it today’s high-tech, electronic world is identity theft.  Identity theft is that act of taking someone’s personal information and using that information to commit fraud.  This personal information can be obtained in any number of ways, but regardless of the source of the information, identity theft can have negative financial consequences and be a major inconvenience.   About 10 million Americans become victims to identity theft every year, and the financial damages exceed $50 billion a year in fraud.  The average identity theft victim spends over 600 hours cleaning up the mess that identity theft and fraud can cause, so it’s wise to take precautions to protect your personal information.

Congress finally passed laws regarding identity theft in 1998, but well before that year criminals were still finding ways to steal information and profit at the expense of their victims.  The common scenario finds the identity thief posing as someone else, withdrawing funds from bank accounts or piling up charges on credit cards, and in some cases even buying homes or apartments in the name of someone else.  Eventually, the criminal can disappear, leaving the debt and negative credit consequences in the victim’s name to handle.

There are several things that individual’s can do to protect themselves from falling victim to identity theft.  Although the Internet has opened new doors for criminals looking to steal information, such as phishing scams, nearly 70% of identity theft still occurs the old fashioned way.  Activities such as stealing mail, digging through garbage cans, or even looking over a consumer’s shoulder at an ATM machine can lead to a wealth of information for criminals.  Some measures that you can take to protect yourself include purchasing a shredder to destroy all documents containing sensitive information, using a mailbox that can only be accessed with a key, and being careful not to send confidential information electronically.

Individuals who become identity theft victims may be forced to spend huge amounts of time getting their lives back together.  It’s critical to immediately cancel missing credit cards and contact your bank to put a stop on stolen checks and disable debit and ATM cards when you suspect that someone could be authorizing transactions in your name.  The first step that should be taken if you suspect that someone has stolen your identity is to contact the Federal Trade Commission, the government body assigned to handle identity theft cases.  It would also be a good idea to report the crime to your local FBI office.  Next, you should contact the three credit rating agencies (Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union) to report that fraud may have been committed in your name.

Fortunately, identity theft has actually declined in frequency over the past couple of years as more people have become aware of how easy it is for criminals to access unprotected information.  However, it remains a serious problem with serious consequences for victims.  It’s vital to be vigilant in protecting your information to ensure you don’t fall victim to identity theft.

Over the past decade, identity theft has become the fastest growing financial crime and one of the fastest growing crimes overall in the United States. About 10 million Americans become victims of identity theft every year, with financial losses totaling nearly $50 billion in 2007.

One of the reasons that identity theft problems have become so widespread is because of how easy it is for sensitive information to get into the wrong hands. Criminals are getting more creative when it comes to finding ways to take advantage of having an individual’s personal information. Anyone can fall victim to identity theft, and there are several legal issues involved with this growing crime.

In 1998, Congress passed extensive identity theft laws after a few high profile cases made it a crime that needed to be addressed. Leading up to the 1998 lawmaking surrounding identity theft, 94% of financial crimes in 1996 and 1997 involved identity theft.

As more of the transactions Americans participate in each day become an electronic exchange of information, it has become easier than ever for criminals to act anonymously using another individual’s information. In Congress’ report on identity theft, they outlined many of the known methods criminals use to gather information. The report contained accounts of everything from dumpster diving and stealing mail to more sophisticated electronic information gathering tools. The report even showed involvement with organized crime rings in identity theft.

Because there are so many victims of identity theft, investigators usually don’t have the time or resources to follow the clues through every individual case. Unfortunately, most criminals are never caught for this crime.

The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission are charged with enforcing identity theft crimes, but because of the difficulty in tracking and apprehending identity thieves, most Federal resources have been dedicated to educating the public and preventing identity theft as opposed to catching the criminals. Other law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, have formed task forces dedicated to busting identity theft rings with various levels of success.

There are several laws on the books regarding identity theft. Many of these laws deal with the crime of identity theft itself, while others laws are designed to help victims of identity theft effectively restore credit and legal issues that can be extremely time consuming to deal with. Almost always, identity theft is accompanied by other crimes. Theft and various types of fraud are the most common crimes that are committed by identity thieves. There are also laws in place to limit losses to victims of identity theft, provided that they report the crime within a timely manner.

Victims of identity theft should contact the three credit reporting agencies and speak with their Fraud departments as soon as possible. Credit agencies will place fraud alerts on a victim’s credit report and monitor activity closely. Victims should also contact each of their individual creditor’s to close open accounts and open new accounts with new account numbers and passwords. Finally, the victim should alert both local and Federal authorities to report the crime.

It seems like you hear about all the security threats on the internet everywhere these days.

On the news, in magazines, on the radio – everywhere you turn there seems to be all these warnings of pending doom for anyone who uses the net.

The fact is, there are a lot of threats but like any other news, all you hear about is the bad stuff. The media thrives on giving us bad news and then piling it on to make it sound like the end of the world is near.

That’s how they sell advertising.

The reality is, the threats are there but you’re not necessarily one step away from losing your identity, having your bank account cleaned out by some hacker and getting tricked into giving a bunch of money to some scammer through spam email.

A lot of this stuff is just using your common sense. The internet’s no different than any other form of communication. If someone called you on the phone and offered you something that sounded too good to be true, you’d probably think twice. You should do the same on the internet.

If you want to learn more about how to protect yourself and your family online without having to become a technical wizard, you might want to check out my Online Security Toolkit:

www.OnlineSecurityToolkit.com

It explains how you can protect yourself from things like identity theft, spyware and viruses, as well as how you can keep your kids safe from all the nasty stuff (and people) they can run into on the net.