1- Check your credit report regularly
2- Secure personal information in your home,
especially if you have roommates, employ outside
help, or are having work done in your home.
3- minimize the amount of information someone
can steal, do not carry extra credit cards, your
Social Security card, birth certificate or
passport in your wallet or purse, except when
needed. Always store your wallet in a safe
place.
4- Make sure you have a locked mailbox, post
office box or commercial mailbox service. When
you are away from home for an extended time,
have your mail held at the Post Office, or ask
someone you trust to pick it up.
5- Pickup new checks at the bank. Do not have
them mailed to your home.
6- Reduce the number of credit cards you
actively use to a minimum.
7- Cancel unused bank or credit accounts.
8- Keep a photocopy of all your credit cards,
bank accounts, and investments.
9- Never give out your SSN, credit card number
or other personal information unless you are
sure the source is secure.
10- Do not throw out your credit card receipts
in public places always take receipts with you.
11- When creating passwords and PINs (personal
identification numbers), do not use the last
four digits of your Social Security number,
mother's maiden name, your birthdate, middle
name, pet's name, consecutive numbers or
anything else that could easily be discovered by
thieves. It's best to create passwords that
combine letters and numbers.
12- Install and update virus protection software
to prevent a worm or virus from causing your
computer to send out files or other stored
information
13- Do not open files sent to you by strangers,
or click on hyperlinks or download programs from
people you don't know. Opening a file could
expose your system to a computer virus which
could capture your passwords or any other
information as you type it into your keyboard.
14- Install a firewall on your home computer to
prevent hackers from obtaining personal
identifying and financial data from your hard
drive
15- Before disposing of your computer, remove
data by using a strong "wipe" utility program.
Do not rely on the "delete" function to remove
files containing sensitive information
