How to safeguard your personal and financial data?

Internet is a public network that connecting millions of computers throughout the world and there are millions of dollar traded through the internet daily. Moreover the electronic mail (e-mail) sent to another person passes several individual computers before it reaches the destination. So there is every possibility for hackers to gain control of the data. Hence, personal and financial data of individual is actually exposed to threat from being steal or tampered. Therefore, how do you safeguard your personal and financial data? Do you have proper safeguards for your data?

Here there are few suggested approaches on how to safeguard our personal and financial data:

1.Password protect.

• Use a strong password or pass-phrase to protect access to your data. Eg, choose a password that is longer than 8 characters with one capital letter and one symbol.
• Refrain from using Only Names or Numbers and Personal Information. Information Week shows that 16% likes to uses name and 14% likes "1234" or "12345678" and 4% even use password as their password.
• Never provide your password over e-mail or based on an e-mail request.
• Change your passwords regularly.
• Use different password for different website. (But remember what password you have used for each website!)

2.Install and update antispyware, antivirus programs and a firewall.

• Protect yourself against malicious malware that may steal or modify the data on your own computer and leave you vulnerable.
• With up-to-date security software, individual could able to rest their mind in peace from worrying on any malicious software attack.

3.Limit physical access and Restrict network or shared access.

• Allow only authorized individuals access to those devices, and monitor access to those devices whenever possible.
• Do not allow anyone access to sensitive/personal data unless they specifically require access.

4.Avoid accessing financial information in public.

• Resist logging on to check your bank balance when working from a coffee shop that offers wireless access. These systems are convenient, but also unknown. Casual users have no way of assessing how sturdy their firewalls are.

5.Match your receipts to your billing statement each month.

• Make sure you have not been billed for fraudulent purchases.

For more information, pls refer to:

• Internet Security - Safeguard Your Personal and Financial Data
• Safeguarding Your Data
• Six Ways to Safeguard Your Online Assets
• Password Security
• Strong passwords: How to create and use them
• 33% Use a Single Password for Everything