Three Things You Need to Know About PC Security

Everybody knows that you need to password protect all of your online accounts. Everybody knows not to give those passwords out. We know to use WPA secured wireless connections. We know not to choose easy to guess passwords. However, identity theft remains a real threat in PC management, whether you know all the tricks or not. Here are a few points you might not have considered about PC security.

The Majority of Identity Theft is Due to Credit Card Theft

No matter how well you protect your PC itself, the majority of identity theft actually has to do with stolen credit cards. If you know what you're doing, if you take the time to make sure everything is password protected, you use a powerful PC security program to keep the spybots and adware at bay, then chances are, you're not going to have your identity number stolen through the web. However, losing your credit card or being careless with receipts can be a serious liability. Make sure that you keep the card itself, and your number, as safe as you keep your online passwords.

Remote Access Can Help

If you don't have a cloud server for your computer, now is a good time to get one. There was a video that went viral not too long ago, gathering around two million views. The video itself is unremarkable, albeit embarrassing for the person recording himself with the laptop's built-in camera. The video was posted by the laptop's original owner, who had used his cloud server to access his computer from afar and find out what the laptop thief had been doing with it since stealing it a few days prior. Remote access can be a major help in retrieving stolen computers and protecting your information in the event of theft.

SIGN OUT

At home, you likely retain a habit of leaving your PC signed in to all of your online accounts. This is a good idea as it saves you a lot of time, but when visiting a friend, borrowing another person's computer or checking your email while at the library, work or school, you really want to cover your tracks. Manually sign out, as a few seconds of carelessness may cost you several months of backpedaling later on as you change your passwords and hide sensitive information in your email inbox.

Staying safe isn't really so tricky. Identity thieves are always there, but PC security is always one step ahead. So far, we're winning the war, so play it safe and you won't lose out in the battle with hackers.