It is important to understand that financial institutions take every available effort to keep the transactions of their customers safe and secure. After all, they wouldn’t be in business for very long if they didn’t. Of course, it would seem that crooks and criminals get more and more creative every year in order to circumvent those security efforts. Just a few of the techniques they use include keystroke collection and phishing activities.

Phishing involves the use of trick emails and even some websites to collect personal information from individuals such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers, passwords, etc. With this information, criminals can then steal your money. So, it is incredibly important to be sure that whatever site you enter such information into or whoever you share such information with is secure and legitimate. In some cases phishing emails can look quite legitimate, as if they are indeed coming from your bank. Before responding such an email it’s a good idea to always contact your financial institution to verify they actually sent the email. If they can’t confirm it, don’t respond and certainly do not share any sensitive information.

Other techniques you can use to protect yourself while banking online is to use passwords that are extremely secure. The safest passwords should be at least six characters long and include both numbers and letters. Never duplicate passwords and try not to use numbers and letters that would be easy to figure out, such as numbers from important dates like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. or names of your children, pets, etc. Usernames should be likewise secure.

Keystroke collector programs work to collect important information such as passwords and usernames that can then be used by a criminal to hack into your online bank account information. To protect yourself from this threat, it is important to check your computer on a regular basis to make sure you do not have any spyware, such as a keystroke collector, installed on your system. This type of program can be installed on your system without you even knowing it and many people are often surprised to find out the amount of spyware that is on their system without their knowledge. Spyware can be detected and removed with spyware blockers.

Finally, don’t forget to store all of your banking information in a very secure location. Never keep the passwords and usernames on your computer itself or even near it for that matter. If you forget your own password or username it’s a lot easier to change it than to worry about losing your money to a computer hacker.

Social networking has become the new buzz word and each and every person from a college student to a celebrity is socializing moment through the online social networking sites. With these networking sites and the immense popularity of it has evolved also the problem of social media identity theft. These new thieves rob you of your most precious and crucial thing–your identity!

Social media identity theft is done by hackers or spammers who steal your personal details and personal number and pose like you in the networking site. This leads people to believe that they are interacting with you or viewing your profile and updates whereas they are basically doing that of another person! This can prove dangerous like that in the case of Sandra Bullock, who had to go on an exile and return only after proving her innocence. Therefore it is very important to know how you can prevent the social media identity theft.

The networking sites give you the choice to choose a name by which you should be known in the networking site. It is always better and recommended that you chose your own name and put a name which is most close to your name. The sites at places demand your name, it is better to give your key name. There is also a question which they ask for the security purpose. Try to remember your security question and its answer. This will help you to change the password of your account from time to time and keep your identity safe.

But many a times it happens that another person creates a profile similar to yours with a name that resembles to that of yours. This fake profile then does much harm to your image and also leads to provide wrong information to others by using your name and identity. This can be prevented by getting a username closer to your name. Register it with the networking site. This will prevent any other user to use the name you have entered. This way your profile remains unique.

Many a times the user remains unaware that his or her profile is hacked and is being used by someone else! This can not be prevented but an early detection can fasten the process of deleting the hacker and getting you back your identity.

There are some names which are very common .Thieves generally try to use those names to achieve their evil goals. To prevent them from achieving their target you should try to employ certain technique which will make your account hard to capture. Though the process of making your profile strong against theft takes time, you should do all you can to employ it. Try to change your password now and then. Keep an eye on your profile and any profile that looks fishy or fake should be avoided from a visit.

There are many fake profiles with which the networking sites are over crowded. The networking sites do not have any clear policy against such profiles and fake identities. While such profiles as that of Osama bin Laden or Condoleezza Rice or even Bill Gates might be taken to be fake or a joke but that of a common man might become a dangerous problem.

Therefore adopt the above said means and any other means you get to know, to save your networking form being hacked. Remain updated about security related matters and go for safe networking. Enjoy safe networking!

Everyone seems to have benefited from online shopping and e-commerce, including crooks. In fact, the risks of identity theft and cyber attacks are now so high that many people chose not to risk buying from even big web companies. Thankfully, many websites have taken preventive measures by locking their website and adding security procedures and scripts to prevent identity theft. If you would like to protect your site and visitors, read this article and learn how to make a free locked website.

We all see the great benefits attributed to technology. However, they also have downfalls. You may know someone or know someone who knows someone who has their confidential details stolen from an online shop they made a purchase from. Many dishonest people have made a living from hacking other people’s sites, taking all their details such as their back accounts, names credit card numbers, etc. This sounds very scary, and yes, it is. Identity theft is the fast growing crime this year.

Here are simple techniques on how to make a free locked website:

• Generate random values using PHP

Use random number generation, however avoid computational generators for these are merely computed values and are not pseudo random. Examples of random generators are rand() and mt_rand() which will spit out a random integer. Another is str_shuffle(), which shuffles a string of numbers.

• Generating random passwords

There are tons of sites that offer this service, but you may ask, ‘Why would I need to generate random passwords?’ The answer is pretty obvious. Most users cannot be trusted in providing a secure password. Most merely use their name, birthday, or the word ‘password’ as the password. These random passwords are very useful on user registrations and when users request when they have forgotten their password.

• Salting Passwords’ to authenticate the user

Salting passwords increase the security of your users even though an attacker has gained access to your database. While the attacker can gain the users’ credentials, applying randomization techniques in storage of passwords will make the process much more difficult, much more if user info and content are divided into separate storages.

• Obfuscation in PHP

There are two primary ways in obfuscating your code. One, you can do it by hand. However, doing it all manually can take time. The second way is to buy software that will encode the assembly of the script output for you.

• Cryptography in PHP and applications

Symmetric Key Cryptography is where the security lies primarily within a key, shared between two points where the data is encrypted and where it is decrypted.

We have taught you randomizing values, ‘salting’, generating random passwords, obfuscating, authenticating users and cryptography. That must be a lot to take in! Learning these key facts are vital and well worth it, especially when you want to know how to make a free locked website. By using a few methods, or a combination of them, you will ensure the security of your web users and visitors.

In a day and age where an increasing proportion of our lives are spent online, it’s no wonder identity theft is on the rise. As individuals part with sensitive data such as bank details, addresses and names when shopping online or simply using social networking sites, there’s a plethora of information available to those wishing to seek it out. Caution and preventative measures are the best means to fight the war on identity theft both on and offline.

Identity thieves setting online traps for unwitting individuals is a particularly common way in which personal details are lost. ‘Phishing’ scams that replicate website log-in pages are a popular technique with thieves to gather passwords and user names from unaware individuals. While a thief’s access to a social networking site is usually so they can spam there are also more dangerous consequences when they gain access to banking websites or e-commerce. Being alert at all times and avoiding giving your details out in emails or in suspicious circumstances are the best measures against online identity theft.

The fight against identity theft also extends into the offline world with individuals often unaware of the danger of not shredding personal documents before putting them into the recycling or refuse. Ditching bank statements, credit card information or utility bills into household rubbish means anyone who has access to your wheelie bin, black bags or recycling system also has access to sensitive information. Investing in a manual or electric shredder allows you to protect your details by destroying them before disposal.

With bank ATMs an invaluable part of everyday life, it’s no wonder that identity theft also extends here. Keeping your pin code hidden at all times and avoiding ATMs that appear to have been tampered with are good preventative measures for protecting your card details. Recently ATM manufacturers have been investing research and development into anti-theft machines that include built in surveillance cameras and mirrors that allow card-users to observe who could be standing behind them; using some of these kind of bank ATMs is an extra safe measure.

Finally, one of the easiest ways for identity theft to happen is when details are left in an unprotected place. Many individuals don’t recognise the danger in leaving passwords or pin numbers for bank accounts and so forth in diaries and mobile phones. Although these places are handy locations to store your personal data in the event they are forgotten they too are also easily lost or even stolen. Keeping your passwords somewhere more discreet such as a home safe is a better course of action in the fight against personal identity theft.

When I was a kid, I remember when thieves could steal your car, steal your purse, or even steal your wallet. Today there is a new target for smart and sophisticated thieves: your identity. Think about it – from the criminal’s perspective, this is the perfect crime. There is no gun required, almost no physical risk, a low chance of getting caught, and the potential for a very lucrative haul. Welcome to the 21st century.

This month I’m going to take a look at identity theft and answer some basic questions. What is identity theft? How does it happen? How can I prevent it? Next week we will take a look at some specific steps you can take if you have already been the victim of identity theft.

So what exactly is identity theft? Identity theft occurs when a criminal steals your personally identifying information (name, social security number, birthdate, etc.) and uses the information to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your identity to rent an apartment, get a telephone, obtain a credit card or even buy a new car! Often, victims of identity theft do not learn that they have been victimized until they review their credit report or are contacted by a debt collector.

How does identity theft occur? Identity thieves use several common methods to obtain the information they need to commit their crime. Some criminals will go through your trash until they find discarded correspondence or other documents with your information. This practice is known as “dumpster diving.” Some criminals rig credit card machines to make a copy of your credit card information when you slide your card for a legitimate authorized transaction. The more “high tech” criminals use a complex method of posing as banks or other institutions to get information via email or fake websites. This technique is called “phishing,” and is one of the most effective and fastest growing means of obtaining your personal information.

First and foremost, be aware of the ways your personal information can be stolen and take the appropriate safeguards. You may wish to buy a personal shredder to use for sensitive documents you throw away at home such as all those pre-approved credit offers many of us receive. Also, be very careful about how and when you provide personal information over the internet. If you get an email from your bank or credit card company asking for information and providing a “link” to click on, ignore it. Call the number you have on file for the financial institution (do NOT rely on any phone number provided in the email) and ask them about the email over the phone. Remember to regularly review your credit report and look for errors or accounts you did not open. You can receive one free copy of your credit report annually. The official website for this process is: www.annualcreditreport.com. You can get additional information on identity theft and its prevention by visiting the Federal Trade Commission web site.

Recently law enforcement officials in the United States and Egypt cracked a sophisticated identity theft ring that used phishing to steal close to two million dollars from Wells Fargo and Bank of America Customers. This comes on the heels of another international ring that reported stole forty million credit and debit cards from numerous high profile companies.

This type of news would easily give you the impression that the internet is the playground for identity thieves. While you definitely have to watch yourself in cyberspace from pharming and phishing scams still are no match for identity theft in the offline world.

In a study conducted by the Better Business Bureau offline identity theft still dwarfs the thievery in cyberspace by a wide margin. It also on average costs more money and takes longer to fix than online theft. Indeed those who do most of their transactions on the internet were able to detect identity theft a lot quicker than their offline counterparts.

In a way this is not hard to figure. Identity thieves who operate offline have so many techniques to choose from. ATM rigging, shoulder surfing, skimming, dumpster diving and a whole host of others including the mail.

Identity theft thru the mail has a couple of things going for it. One is that thieves just flat out break into your mailbox. Many people whether they own their own house or live in an apartment are still working with the old style mailboxes which are less than secure. It’s not hard for identity thief to do a quick surveillance job of the neighborhood and then figure out what resident’s mailbox is going to be the easiest pickings.

And their thievery probably gets a major helping hand not so much from you but from all those credit card offers you receive. Of course it does not have to be just credit card offers anything will do but it does not hurt. The junk mail industry does big business so they provide mail fraudsters and identity thieves plenty of golden opportunities.

Identity thieves are also calculating that you will not open the majority of these solicitations or shred them. Just that the information will take a direct path from your mailbox to your garbage. Enter the dumpster divers who know that a gold mine is waiting for them in your trash can.

The solution is to shred all of your personal information that you plan on disposing of, remove yourself from as many junk mail lists as possible and get a secure mailbox.

It may not remove the threat of identity theft altogether but it can tilt the odds of preventing it heavily in your favor.

The theft of personal information for criminal purposes, also known as identity theft, has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. This may be due to the fact that the gains from stealing personal information have also increased. With the correct identifying information criminals can gain a hefty sum of money from the fraud and deception used in identity theft.

Credit identity theft is the most common class of identity theft today. This involves criminals using a victim’s credit card information to make cash advances and purchases. The theft can occur at home, at the office, or even during innocent outings such as dinners or vacations. These criminals use different methods to get to a victim’s credit card information and use them for their criminal intentions.

Identity theft can come in many forms. Some criminals eavesdrop or look over the shoulder of their victims to take their personal information while they are dictating them or writing them down. Some steal mail or redirect mail in order to get to the information sent to the victim by their banks, utilities or other services. Some even go through the trash of their targets to get to discarded documents.

The internet is also a new hunting ground for these thieves. They commit identity theft through malicious unsolicited electronic mail known as “spam”, they create fake websites that look like legitimate in a technique called “phishing”, and they create viruses, worms, and malware that harvest personal information automatically from infected computers.

The worst news is that even when the crime has been discovered it can take a lot of time and effort to recover from an identity theft attack. It may even take longer to recover than it took to commit the crimes themselves. This is the worst part of becoming a victim of identity theft.

Because of this the best course of action is take a vigilant stance and commit to preventive measures against identity theft. The United States Department of Justice recommends a “SCAM” approach to identity theft. “S for Stingy” means that one should be reluctant in giving away their personal information when it is clearly unnecessary. For example, one can omit details such as their social security numbers on checks and other document if they are not truly needed there. Also being wary of “special offers” from unknown callers or email senders and other sources that ask for your credit card information can protect you from credit identity theft.

”C is for Check” is a step towards regular identity theft checks through careful analysis of credit reports and billing statements.

”A is for Ask” to ask for reports and records from government institutions and financial services whenever possible to see previous access dates and service requests.

”M is for Maintain” as maintaining your own records of banking and financial activities will help you ensure that you are in control of everything and nothing is being stolen.

By taking a proactive stance against identity fraud you can protect your privacy and your financial security from criminals who are actively seeking to steal them from you.

Identity theft is a type of fraud where an individual or group wrongfully takes and uses another individual personal data for use in a fraudulent or deceptive way. Unlike a person’s DNA or fingerprints, personal data is easily obtained and copied through fraud and deception and they can lead to criminals seeking them from economic gain.

The theft of personal information itself in identity theft use a multitude of techniques designed to confuse the victim. A lot of people do not have a clue on how easily their personal data can be stolen. One recorded way criminals do this is by looking over the shoulder or to the side of a person entering critical personal information such as a credit card number or pin code, and listen in or eavesdrop when they are dictating the calling card numbers and codes which they then use for credit identity theft.

These criminals can even attack you when you are at your office or at home. Some employ identity theft tactics like sorting through your trash to look for personal information in old mail or documents you have thrown out. Some can intercept your mail and so you do not even receive them. Others even redirect your mail in order to intercept all of the information from your banks or utility companies.

Identity theft is also a rampant crime on the internet. From “spam” mail, unsolicited electronic mail that are sent in large groups to a large amounts of people in order to get a single reply to mine personal information, to fraudulent websites, internet criminals use all and every means in their disposal to get to your personal information. Phishing, a technique where a fraudulent website which looks like a legitimate website is used to get a potential victim’s personal information, is a common technique criminals use today.

With enough personal data and identifying information a criminal may do a lot of criminal activities through your identity. They can take out loans and get credit cards through false applications and credentials. They can withdraw from your bank accounts, and use everything from telephone cards to credit cards to purchase thousands of dollars worth of goods until the cards themselves reach their limits. This is called credit identity theft Most of the time these criminals also take great length to conceal their activities to the victim by avoiding any type of notification system. This is done by placing false contact information and addresses.

It is very hard to correct the falsehoods that these criminals have committed through your identity. Identity theft has left thousands of victims with the hard task of recovering their identities and correcting the mistakes. It is truly unfortunate that it sometimes takes longer for the victim to recover from the damages than for the criminal to commit the crime.

Therefore, in the case of identity theft prevention is the best kind of citizen response. By using identity theft check systems and other anti fraud techniques, we can help ourselves and each other defeat the rampage of identity theft.

The Today show on May 8th gave an interesting expose of the latest techniques identity thieves are using to steal your identity and money. The technique is called ‘skimming’ and involves replacing the genuine card reader, with a card reader installed by the thieves. Recently in Rhode Island, two ‘Stop and Shop’ stores found that two of their point-of-sale machines had been broken into, replacement card readers installed, and 1000 cards compromised.

With skimming at the ATM, the ATM is rigged to steal the card info with an unauthorized card reader, while a hidden camera makes a note of the PIN number as you punch it in. The card information is then loaded onto a blank card, and the crooks can then go to the bank and withdraw money until your account is empty. Most bank customers do not have a daily transaction limit on their account, just a per-transaction limit, so the thieves can make a $200 withdrawal again and again, until there is no more money left in the account.

Admittedly, most banks will reimburse you for such theft, but it can take weeks, and in that time, you’ll have to make do without your money. Almost $1 trillion is transacted through ATM machines in the USA every year, and experts estimate that $50 million of that is lost to skimming.

The TODAY show team, in partnership with Washington Mutual Bank, set up a unauthorized card reader (which they bought online) at the door of one of their Times Square branches. This was a door that previously required no card swipe to enter. These are the statistics: 16 people opened the door without swiping the card, but 18 people did swipe their card through the unauthorized reader. If these cards had the Visa or Mastercard logo on them, the crooks could immediately make online transactions, even without knowing a PIN code.

This is what you can do to protect yourself:

• request a “per-day” transaction limit on your ATM card, eg. $500. This is then the maximum amount that could be stolen in a day.

• check your accounts regularly, either online, in person, or over the phone

• when typing in your PIN, look out for any new or different equipment at the ATM and shield your hand carefully, so no hidden camera could see what you type

• subscribe to an Identity Theft Protection Program, such as the Identity Theft Shield, available at http://officialIDguard.com which offers continuous credit monitoring and identity theft repair if your identity is ever stolen.

For online businesses (e-commerce):

What is the need for marketing information? (reach target market)

What is the concept of market and market identification? (the customers, finding your target market)
What is the info monitored for marketing decision making? (customer’s info, psychographics, demographics….)
What is the use of techonology in the marketing info management function? (…?)
What are techniques for processing marketing info? (encryption in the database)
What are privacy issues regarding online business? (identity theft, phishing)
What are the unique aspects of internet sales? (convenience, 24/7, worldwide, wider inventory of products)

() = my current answers

Thank you again :]