how to safeguard our personal and financial data?

Identity fraud and financial account fraud are not new. Criminals used to gain access to individual’s sensitive personal information with low-tech primary methods such as stealing their mail. But the methods used by criminals to gain access to the personal information that makes these crimes possible are changing with our times. Criminals are now turning to more technologically sophisticated methods of gathering and exploiting personal information.

Therefore, necessary steps to protect the security of individuals' information has to be taken seriously. A few of these safeguards will be discussed below.

Firstly, and also most traditionally, is to create strong passwords and PIN numbers to protect data from being assessed by using a combination of alphabets and numerics.

Besides that, it is crucially important to not only install but constantly update antispyware and antivirus programs. Popular programs include Norton AntiVirus and AVG Antivirus.

Other than that, installing a firewall is also another good safeguard as a firewall is a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your property. In fact, that's why its called a firewall. Its job is similar to a physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next. Most computers today come with firewalls integrated into their operating systems.

Another safeguard would be to avoid assessing personal and financial information in public places such as cafes and restaurants. This can encourage hackers to hack into your confidential data and steal information from anywhere on the network.

The internet is a great source of information, but obviously also a great danger. However, if appropriate safeguards are taken, it is possible to protect personal and financial data.