Photo by GuerrillaBuzz Blockchain PR Agency via Unsplash

by kevin gardner, guest contributor

Today, computers can be found everywhere in your daily life, from the place you work to the car you drive. This technology has opened up new avenues for hackers to steal and corrupt your data. There are many methods, such as securing your password or purchasing software that fights viruses and malware, that can keep your information safe. Here are four ways technology is helping to prevent identity theft.

Take Care of Your Passwords

One of the areas that hackers use to infiltrate your accounts is your passwords. To remember them all, you can be tempted to use easy words or phrases. However, it can make it simple for an outside influence to guess it and break into your account. Think of more difficult options that will be a challenge to predict. If you work in the medical field, you may consider utilizing something related to that industry like who discovered DNA. If your system or website has two-step authentication, enable it as another layer of defense. For those users who have trouble keeping track of it all, you can also download manager software that protects each entry and makes it readily available to only you when you require it.

Secured Connection to a Network

Over the past couple of years, more people have decided to work from home. The connection that you make with your employer can put your system at risk. If it is less than secure, viruses and malware can travel to your computer and compromise it. Be sure that you utilize a virtual private network, or VPN, each time you log in. When you do this, the link you make with your company is protected, which allows the data to move safely from one point to the other. It conceals the IP address of the device that you are using and hides your location at the time from hackers who want to break in and steal information. Talk to your IT department about exploring this option and setting up the specifics that you will require to do this.

Purchase Protective Software

If you intend to use the internet, especially to purchase items or look at your bank account, you will want to buy software that will protect your system and personal information. Research which brand of antivirus and antimalware is the best for your computer. Be sure to look at the amount of space it will require to function properly. You will also want to check out the features that it has and if it provides additional licenses for other types of equipment. Once you complete the transaction, follow the directions to download it onto your hard drive. Be sure to process any updates that come through. They have patches that will defend what you have against the latest malicious programs that have been released on the web.

Be Aware Of the Website That You Are On

While you are surfing the internet, you may be less than aware of the web address that you are on. When you make a purchase, take a moment to look at the URL before you enter your credit card or bank account information. Pages that begin with https instead of http are secure sites that protect your data. As your information is being transmitted, it is encrypted so that hackers are unable to steal it and use it. Once it arrives at its destination, it is reassembled and used to finish the transaction. You can still buy things from web pages that are missing the SSL certification. You must be aware that your numbers have a greater chance of being stolen there. Much of your daily life involves the internet. Whether you are at home or at work, your data must be secure to prevent your identity from being stolen. From software that secures your information on the computer to connections that encrypt your data, there are plenty of tools available to you to combat this issue.

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