How to safeguard our personal and financial data?

Internet is defined as a public network of nearly 50,000 networks connecting millions of computers throughout the world. Therefore, internet is not a safe place. Data is sent back and forth via various servers in which personal information and financial data are housed.

“Personal Financial Information” means any record containing customer information of a financial institution, whether in paper, electronic, or another form, that is handled by behalf of the institution or its affiliates.

The major problem of data transfer is the ability to intercept and record the data that is moving from server a to server b. Normally, hackers have the ability to intercept and use that moving information such as credit card numbers to make illegal transaction.

Most of the websites have offered users the privacy and security likes Secure Socket Layer (SSL). SSL encrypts data such as credit cards numbers as well other personally identifiable information. This can prevent the “bad guys” from stealing information for malicious intent. However, there is still an increasing number for data stolen cases nowadays.

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

1.Password protect
Using a strong password or pass-phrase to protect your access data. Try not to use obvious passwords such as birth date, mother’s maiden name, or the first or last four digits of your Identity Card. Furthermore, do not reveal any personal information or particularly passwords to anyone.

2. Install and update antispyware and antivirus programs
By installing an antivirus program such as Norton antivirus, AVG antivirus or other more, you are being protected against viruses and Trojan horses that may steal or modify the data on your own computer. And for the well protection, you must ensure that your virus definitions up to date.

3. Limit transportation and transmission of data
Avoiding from transporting and transmitting your sensitive or confidential data if there is no need to do so. For instance, the sensitive or confidential data is not allowed to send through email or a USB stick except there is an obvious need. If there is really a need to transport or transmit it, you must ensure that it has an appropriate level of security.

4. Regularly scan your computer for spyware
The spyware or adware that are hidden in your software program may affect the performance of your computer and provide ability to the attackers to access to your data. Through the use of legitimate antispyware program such as Lavasoft's Ad-Aware, Webroot's SpySweeper, PestPatrol, and Spybot Search and Destroy to scan your computer and remove any spyware file.

5. Dispose of sensitive information properly
By simply deleting a file does not mean that the file is completely erased. You must ensure that you have adequately erased the sensitive files from the software and hardware program of your computer so that an attacker cannot access to those files.

6. Install a firewall
Firewall is an integrated collection of security measures designed to prevent unauthorized electronic access to a networked computer system, especially intranet. It can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. All messages entering or leaving the intranet pass through the firewall, which examines each message and blocks those that do not meet the specified security criteria. In general words, it is a software program designed to allow “good people” in and keep “bad people” out.

Related links:
http://www.msisac.org/awareness/news/2007-03.cfm
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103893/Six-Ways-to-Safeguard-Your-Online-Assets
http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/2005/ssl.asp
http://ezinearticles.com/?Safeguard-Your-Personal-Information&id=1596105
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST04-016.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewall_(networking)