Identity theft can be a complex crime. It starts with a grain of information about a victim, then blossoms into full-blown access to enough information for the thief to impersonate the victim, gain access to his accounts, and steal him blind.
The key to identity theft prevention is attention to details such as what you carry in your wallet and how you create passwords. Passwords, in particular, can make the difference between a stolen identity and a thief who gets frustrated and moves on to an easier victim.
Your passwords online are really the key to your identity. Behind your password is your personal information such as your date of birth, Social Security number and information on your bank accounts. Protecting those passwords – and your credit – is crucial.
Here are three ways to make sure you’ve got the strongest passwords possible:
• Use letters and numbers. You’ve probably heard that one before, but it really is one of the best ways to create a strong password. Use both letters and numbers; at least eight of them. Don’t use birth dates, anniversaries or Social Security numbers. And don’t use whole words.
• Avoid sequences and repeated characters. Longer isn’t necessarily better.
• Don’t’ use the same password everywhere. Even a strong password is useless if it’s cracked. If you use the same password on every Web site that you access, you are exponentially increasing your risk of identity theft. Instead, create a different password for every site that you access. It’s a lot of work and, some would say, a pain in the neck. But it also makes it much harder for identity thieves to gain access to large chunks of your personal data.
Passwords are truly the key to your kingdom and to your peace of mind. Keep them safe.
