CASH 1 Loans is committed to keeping your information online secure. Our site has a 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for data transmission to ensure your personal financial information does not land in the wrong hands. But, you can always take extra precautions when you visit other websites.
You all know that identity theft is a major problem in this overly technologized age. You are susceptible to becoming a victim both online and offline, so you should secure all the information that pertains to your credit cards, banks accounts, and ID.
Although your information can be stolen offline as well, it’s much easier to have it taken and used for illicit purposes when surfing the Internet. There are plenty of scammers sneaking in all its corners, and you could give your financial information to unauthorized persons without knowing it.
It goes without saying that you have to protect your privacy and do a good job at it. If your safety is your #1 priority, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you the best ways in which you can save personal data, so it does not end up in the hands of manipulators.
The most important piece of advice for data security on the Internet is to know who you are sharing your information with. The rest of the steps are intimately connected with this valuable mindset. Here is what you should do.
1. Do not open e-mails from companies you don’t know
Messages like, “We need you to review your information,” “We need you to reset your password,” or “You haven’t completed your account information,” are natural when you know the company that’s sending them.
However, the same messages should trigger your suspicion when they are sent by companies or institutions that claim you are a customer. Do not even open them. A single click can stream all your financial data to strangers. Mark them as spam, delete them and empty the trash bin.
2. Use web encrypting software
This software hides your personal information when you browse the Internet. It functions in a similar fashion with a firewall. Many websites can get all your personal info even if you don’t do anything else but scroll through their pages.
If you want a more powerful encrypting, you can install a program like Hamachi for when you browse on other networks. What it does is that it connects you to your network regardless of where you are, establishing a private VPN. Check it out. It’s free of charge.
3. Use a different password for each account
It’s unbelievably easy for hackers to steal your passwords. If you use the same password on all your online bank platforms and other financial websites, you can lose them all once somebody cracks that password.
Use separate strong passwords for each of your accounts. They have to be lengthy and with different characters (letters, numbers, spaces and punctuation marks if they are allowed). Also, keep those passwords in a secured place.
4. Don’t share personal info on social media
Having a Facebook account is not a crime, but it’s pretty hazardous. If you have one, do not give your phone number, e-mail, location, your Social Security Number or anything else that might be used by scammers.
Same goes for every social media account you have, be it Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
5. Don’t fall for “offers.”
“Special discount, only today,” “You’re the winner of…” – What about no? Those are 100% clickbait. Don’t let yourself be tempted by fake offers that seem too good to be true. You’re better off this way, and your information is secure.
You will get tons of such offers in your mail. You know the trick already: “Spam” – “Delete” – “Empty Trash Bin.”
1. Store your personal info in a safe place
Never let your ID cards, debit cards and Social Security Number lie around, not even when you’re at home. And you should never do this when you’re at work.
It is not a good idea to carry them in your wallet. If you lose it, there goes everything you were trying to secure. Leave them at home in a space that nobody would ever think to search for them. It will spare you from many unpleasant surprises.
2. Make copies
Always make copies of every financial document you have. In case one is lost or stolen, you’ll have a quick back-up. You’ll be able to block all your credit cards quickly and render the original documents useless.
This is even more important when you can’t memorize all the numbers of your accounts and the info in some important financial papers.
3. Don’t throw out the hard-drive
Or, if you do, format it first, so every bit of information etched on it is obliterated. Ensure that there is no way that someone could still get what’s on it. Also, do not sell an old computer without making sure you’ve deleted everything first.
It’s much safer to give it to a recycling company that destroys it right away than throwing it in the trash bin. Unfortunately, data can be retrieved even from a formatted hard drive. Make no mistake.
4. Buy a shredder
You’re probably just throwing bills and old documents. What if somebody stumbles upon them and uses your information? Buy a paper shredder or use a cheaper alternative: burn them.
You’re in the safe zone as long as those papers have been turned to dust so they cannot be read by anyone else.
Some people know all these life hacks that they implement in screening their personal information from intruders. But what does that mean?
There are some who have no idea that they’re not doing anything to keep their financial records and information away from strangers. Everything is computerized nowadays, and it is so easy to be the subject of an identity theft that it’s scary. Or at least it should be.
Apply these nine terribly simple tips, and you won’t have any problem whatsoever, whether you are at home, at work or on the Internet. Stay safe at all times and all costs.