Perhaps no political issue in the past year has raised more questions and demanded more answers than the American government's policy of domestic spying. The concern about cyber intruders peeking into your life should not be downplayed, since Google's annual Transparency Report indicates that government requests to remove content and censor data has grown more than ever. The threat of an entire government agency devoted to surveillance may seem overwhelming, but the average American can protect himself and his family's privacy with only a few simple steps.
Encrypt Everything You Can
The tech-savvy among us may already encrypt most of the data pulled from and put onto the Internet but they represent the minority of online users. An EchoWorx study reports that 40 percent of mobile users have no encryption protocols for any of their data, meaning that identity theft can be no more complex than tapping into an Internet network or cloud and downloading the contents. To encrypt most files it requires either a software platform like Microsoft's BitLocker or setting up a virtual private network to act as a "tunnel" for your data as it moves from place to place.
Create Strong Passwords
Just like a lock prevents a thief from stealing a bicycle, so too does the password prevent nearly any cyber surveillance, whether by government or e-criminals. Your password needs to have more strength than the rest of your security combined, since it represents the gateway into everything from personal data to financial information to photos and dates of birth, all of which can be a gold mine for identity theft. PCWorld reports that common passwords like "password," "123456" and "welcome" have all led to the downfall of what should be the sole protection feature you need. You need a password that is easy to remember, but you also need one at least 10 characters long, with a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and characters (such as $, @ and &).Never Click On Unknown Attachments
Identity thieves and phishers could never do a thing to you if you deleted every email that came into your inbox. They require either a response, which includes your information, or for you to download an attachment on their email, chat or post. Sites that spread malware do so by jettisoning virus-laden attachments into the Internet community, with tempting offers like free merchandise or high-paying employment. You can find out more about this type of fraud atwww.identitytheftprotection.org, which will prepare you for "malicious" emails that appear in your inbox. While you look at common scams, you also can determine which identity theft protection services will suit your family's needs.Use Antivirus Software
For all the risks of viruses and Trojans that plague the Web, you can be proactive in protecting yourself by installing antivirus software that keeps malware from getting into your system before it ever has a chance to download a single byte. Keep updating your software as well, since hackers can exploit older machines or operating systems with new protocols that the non-updated software cannot recognize.Kurt Porter
Kurt is a self-proclaimed computer genius who develops software for big businesses.
